Pineapple Upside-Down Cake w/ Ginger Ice Cream

This recipe I stumbled upon one day when I decided to make dinner with my roommate. Although most of the dinner was Asian-inspired after tasting this cake - I knew it would be something my family would enjoy.

So I thought I'd share it with you.

It's inspired by a recipe on Simply Recipes - however, I've changed the caramel topping a bit - and also changed some ingredients within the cake recipe as well.

Ingredients:

Caramel Topping-

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup of molasses
• 1 can (20 oz) of pineapple slices.

Cake:

• 1 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 6 Tbsp cornmeal
• 6 Tbsp of ground almonds (from about 2 oz of whole almonds)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 & 3/4 cups of sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Start by making the caramel topping: Take sugar and butter and combine and melt in a saucepan on medium heat until sugar dissolves. Stir in the molasses and wait until the mixture is bubbly, this should take several minutes.  Pour mixture into a 10 inch diameter stick-free cake pan with 2 inch high sides. Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer ontop of the caramel mixture. About 7 slices fit.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Whisk the flour, corn meal, almonds, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter together until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream in 2 additions each, beating well after each addition. Pour cake batter over caramel and pineapple in pan.
3. Bake cake until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12 to 14 servings. Serve with ginger ice cream - I'm recommending Haagen Daaz.

Bandhakopi (Spiced Cabbage with Potatoes)

Our graduate school is having a potluck where the various school ethnic groups are making dishes to share. I decided to make bandhakopi (pronounced: bah-da-co-pee) because it's a Bengali classic.

Although a cabbage dish never really sounds that appealing - this one is great. It actually brings out the sweetness
of the vegetable itself, but the spices give it a depth of flavor and the potatoes add some substance.

When I was younger this was served as a side, along with another vegetable or meat dish and a bread accompaniment.


Ingredients:

• 1 head of cabbage, sliced thinly
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 tbsp. of oil
• 1 tbsp of turmeric
• 1 tsp. of chili paste or 1/2 tsp. of chili powder
• 1 tbsp. of cumin
• 1/2 tsp. of coriander
• 1 tsp of ginger paste, or 1/2 inch of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp of ghee (a clarified butter) or 1 tbsp of butter.
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp of garam masala
• 1/2 tsp of salt, check to taste
• 1 tsp of sugar

Directions:

1. Heat up oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Once heated add cubed potatoes and 1/4 tsp of salt. When browned remove from pan and set aside.
2. In the remaining oil, add the sliced cabbage and remaining salt. Stir and cover the cabbage so it may wilt over medium low heat. Cook for about 5 minutes.
3. There will be some water in the pan rendered from the cabbage - to that add spices to create a paste.
4. Add sugar and salt to taste - and add cooked potatoes and 1/4 cup of water.
5. Continue to stir - looking for gravy to thicken - and then cover the cabbage. 
6. Finally add ghee to coat the dish.

Serves 6. Prep: 20 min. Cook: 25 min.

Teriyaki Turkey Banh Mi w/ Asian slaw and green-chili mayo

So one complication of growing up in an Indian household is sometimes older members of the family really like certain flavors - mainly Indian, spicy, curried and etc.

In my family, cuisines from Thailand, China and Mexico are loved greatly alongside specific Japanese foods - like teriyaki - no sushi for them. (note: I love sushi, so do my brothers and sometimes it makes us rather sad our family won't try a bite of spicy tuna.)

So when making a sandwich, we must find ways to satisfy this need for Asian flavors and after trying a Banh Mi sandwich at Baoguette, I knew I had to invent one myself - my family could enjoy too.

So here is a Teriyaki Turkey Meatball Banh Mi, with an Asian inspired slaw and green chili mayo.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of frozen turkey meatballs (you could make your own, but it's easier)
• 1 bottle of Trader Joe's Soyaki sauce (could use regular teriyaki as well)
• 1/2 large red onion, sliced thinly into half moons
• 1/2 of cabbage or iceberg lettuce head, shredded
• 1 orange, yellow or red bell pepper (you want the sweetness), sliced thinly
• 1/2 an English cucumber, sliced into matchsticks
• 2 tbsp. of red wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp. of oil
• 1 tsp. of honey
• 3 tbsp. of mayo
• 1 green chili, chopped with seeds
• 4 hearty rolls or baguettes, pictured is the focaccini from TJ's
• black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place the 4 meatballs per person in a saucepan with the jar of soyaki. Heat over medium-low heat for 15-20 mins or until meatballs are heated through.
2. In a separate bowl, combine lettuce or cabbage, bell peppers, onions and cucumbers. Toss with oil, red wine vinegar and honey. Add black pepper to taste.
3. In another smaller bowl, combine mayo and chopped green chilis. Set aside.
4. Toast rolls in over or toaster.
5. When meatballs are heated through, take a roll and slather mayo on either side.
6. Cut each meatball in half and place on on side of roll. 
7. Top with slaw and cover with other half.

Serve: 4 to 5 people, Prep Time: 15 min., Cook Time: 20 mins.

Indian Spice Cupboard

After months of talking about how to cook Indian food, one thing I've failed to mention are the essential spices needed in any Indian food-lover's pantry.

The main spices one must always have are cumin, corriander, turmeric, red chili and garam masala. In most cases, Indian households have both whole and ground versions of each spice, although turmeric is only found in powder form.

Garam Masala is a special mix of a few Indian spices which is what creates a certain flavor. It literally translates to "hot mixture" and is used in both cooking and as a garnish. It has black & white peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, black cumin, cumin seeds, cinnamon; black, brown, & green cardamom, nutmeg, star anise and coriander seeds.

Some of these spices like cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, star anise and bay leaves are also necessary in Indian spice cupboards.

Another used concoction is curry powder. However, unlike the mix of curry powder you can find in a grocery store, this isn't just curry leaves ground up.

It is this specific combination:

• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 dried red chiles, broken in pieces, seeds discarded
• 1 tablespoon turmeric

Other spices to keep around are mango powder, used to sweeten dishes and add color, hing (which is like ground fennel, has a strong smell and tastes like leeks), fenugreek leaves or powder (which has a salty and bitter taste) saffron (expensive, used to color and flavor sauces, rice), allspice, mace, tamarind (sweet),  and mustard seeds.

As you can see there are many spices used in Indian cooking. The best thing to do is get them in their whole form and blend a small amount to use regularly when cooking. The spices in powder form lose flavor after about 6 months, while whole spices, if left in a cool, dark, dry area can last more than a year.

Have fun with the spices. Try them raw and see what they taste like and how adding them can change the depth of your dish.

Chicken Tikka Masala and Onion Relish

So on Saturday night after prodding from some classmates - I decided to throw an Indian dinner party, showcases some of the recipes from the blog.

The great thing about it was that I got to test the written recipe versions of the ones I wrote on this blog and make sure they came out the same way each time. There was a slight difference in the saag paneer recipe but I attribute it to the adjustment I made for the headcount. Instead of using two bags of spinach i used three, and so the cream addition should have been only a half more, and I think I might have doubled it... but it didn't affect the flavor. What did though, was forgetting to add the spices prior to blending the spinach. So the flavor wasn't cooked out of the spices and instead I added the spices in afterwards and it was sorta raw.

Anyway, Sara, my roommate, tested out a Chicken Tikka Masala recipe, I was hoping to try and eventually place on this blog. It turned out amazing! I was so proud of her. What was better was we had some of my classmates come by, some who are Indian, and they said they enjoyed it as well - which is a huge compliment!

So here's how you make it. It's take a bit of time, but it's worth it. We ended up adding some more red chili powder, maybe a little too much, but it gave it a great kick. Also some sugar helps to balance out the flavors - and if you let it sit for a bit, the flavors blend even more.

Chicken Tikka Masala

serves 6, marinade: at least an hour, prep: 30 min., cook: 1 hour.

Ingredients:
* need various amounts of spices, so keep them handy...

• coriander powder
• cumin seeds
• ginger paste
• garlic paste
• chili powder
• turmeric
• fenugreek leaves, ground
• garam masala
• cashew nuts
• salt
• lime
• cream
• 1 cup of yogurt
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, cubed
• 2 bell peppers (two different colors), cubed
• 2 tbsp of oil
• a bunch of cilantro
• 3 chicken breasts, cubed.

Directions:

1. Marinade the chicken, bell peppers and 1 tomato in yogurt and spices. Recipe below.

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Marinade:

• ½ tsp. of chili powder
• ½ tsp. of coriander powder
• ½ tsp. of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. of ginger paste
• 1 tsp. of garlic paste
• ½ tsp. of fenugreek leaves, ground
• ¼ tsp. of salt      
• ½ of the juice of a lime
• 1 tbsp of oil
• 1 cup of yogurt

1. Take the other tomato and add to blender or food processor and 1 tbsp. of cashews and create a puree.
2. In a medium pot, add a tbsp of oil. Once hot – add 1 tsp. of garam masala, chopped onions, 1 tbsp. of cumin seeds, 1 tsp. of turmeric, 1 tbsp. of coriander, 1 tsp. of chili powder – and cook it the spices for a bit. Add ½ a cup of water and allow it blend with the spices. Then add the tomato puree. Add 2 cups of cream. Add another tsp. of fenugreek powder and cover the pot and allow to boil until combined.
3. Taste and add salt to taste.
4. On a grill or in a non stick or cast iron pan grill vegetables and chicken. Sear outside of chicken and cook through.
5. The add in chicken and vegetables and allow the masala to simmer.
6. Add cilantro to the dish and serve over rice.

In addition to the dishes of chana masala, dal, and lamb keema - she made onion relish, the type you get with pappadum at Indian restaurants as sort of an appetizer.

We found a basic recipe online, but had to make adjustments. 

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Fiery Onion Relish

• 1 cup minced onion
• 4 tsp fresh lemon or lime juice
• 1/2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or red chili powder)
• 1 tsp of white vinegar
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 1 tbsp of tomato puree
•   Salt to taste

* if you don't have tomato paste available, cut out the sugar, vinegar and salt - add 1.5 tbsp of ketchup instead.

Directions:

1.      If you prefer your onion to be less pungent, soak it in salted water to cover for about 30 minutes, then drain and rinse it.

2.      Combine all ingredients and set them aside for about 30 minutes while the flavors blend.

3.      This relish should be spicy hot, so add as much cayenne as you dare! Refrigerated, this will keep for several days.

Desserts: Payesh (Rice Pudding)

So a week or so ago, on my way to interview someone about my master's project, I decided to go grab a Bahn Mi, or a Vietnamese sandwich at Baoguette in Manhattan. When I got to small shop off Lexington Avenue, I was impressed with the small but delicious menu. 

I decided on a Sloppy Bao - spicy curry pork, green mango, cilantro and lemongrass. It's placed on a french baguette - and there was awesome Asian flavor in every bite.

So I'm thinking that this weekend - I will try to experiment with this and create two Indian sandwiches. I'm thinking one with ground lamb and one with pulled chicken... or if I'm really good another vegetarian version.

I'll definitely place the recipes up once I'm done with the experiment.

On a completely different note - I was really craving Indian sweets - which rarely happens - so I thought I'd talk about one of my favorites - rice pudding, or as known in my family - payesh. There are various versions of payesh depending on which part of India a family is from - however one thing is for sure, it's a simple and sweet dessert that is easy to make.

It's also a really easy way to get rid of bad milk. Literally, in my house we knew someone was gonna make payesh when the power went out and the milk went sour. The boiling of the milk removes any bacteria.

Bengali Payesh
serves 4, Soak: 1 hr., Prep: 5 min., Cook: 40 min.

Ingredients:

• 1 liter (about 4 1/4 cups) whole or skim milk (depending on how creamy you want it)
• 1/2 cup basmati rice (soaked for at least one hour)
• 10-12 cashew nuts, chopped
• slivered almonds, 1/4 cup
• 1/4 cup of sugar, or of jaggery**
• 1/4 cups of raisins
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 green cardamoms

** jaggery is a unrefined sugar usual found in block form in Asian grocery stores. It almost looks like dark brown sugar.

Directions: 

1. Bring the milk to a boil in a pan. Add the bay leaves and green cardamoms and let boil further for 8-10 minutes on medium heat. When 3/4 of the milk remains, add the soaked rice, sugar, cashew nuts, almonds and raisins.
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer until only half of the milk remains in the pan and the rice is tender. Keep stirring from time to time throughout the process.
3. Allow to cool.  Cover and refrigerate.

Baigan Bhartha (Spiced Mashed Eggplant)

So if you're a fan of Baba Ganoush - the Mediterranean pureed eggplant dish - Baigan Bhartha is a great dish to try.

Roasting the eggplant allows it to have a smoky flavor - which is enhanced by the cumin.


Baigan Bhartha 
serves 4, Prep: 20 min, Cook: 25 min.

• 1 eggplant, grilled in oven
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 medium onions, chopped fine
• 1 green chillies (adjust to taste, I used Indian green chillies)
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic (optional)
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 lime wedge or tbsp of lime juice
• Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
• Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 365 degrees. Use 1 tbsp. oil to cover the skin of the eggplant and wrap it in aluminum foil. Grill the eggplant for 30 min. or until soft- then cool, peel, mash and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a pan add the chopped onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic with a pinch of salt.
3. When the onions turn pink (don't brown it too much), add the chopped tomatoes. Mix well and cook covered for about 10 mins, stirring once or twice in between. 
4. Once the tomatoes are cooked soft, put cooked veggies in a bowl. Add the garam masala, coriander powder and turmeric to the bowl.
5. Add the grilled eggplant and mashed. Once blended with other veggies, add cilantro and lime juice.