V I R U N D H U

JFI: Garlic - Tzatziki, Greek Yogurt Sauce

Posted by Mathy Kandasamy | Filed under Garlic, Dipping Sauce, Yoghurt, Jihva For Ingredients(JFI), Archives

Yogurt has been used as the base of a sauce everywhere. The flavoring differs from culture to culture. Its uses are very many. Dip, tongue coolant ;), base of a curry, condiment, salad dressing, side dish, traditional sandwich filler (eg. Shawarma).

The yoghurt sauce, I am going to present here today is quite a popular one. Most of you would have consumed it. Tzatziki. Quite a mouthful, I know. But the taste! Ooomf! Tzatziki is quite popular in the Mediteranian region. Almost all the cultures from that region has a variant of this delightful yogurt sauce, all the way from Bulgaria to Iran. Tzatziki is quite similar to the thayir pachadi prepared in South India.

Now what is the one ingredient in Tzatziki that lends the ‘oompf!’?

Yes! Garlic.

Recipe:

1-1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
2 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt, as per taste
black pepper, as per taste

Traditionally thick Greek yogurt would be used for Tzatziki. Or regular yogurt would be strained in a cheesecloth. But, I prefer to use plain low-fat yogurt without draining out the whey.

The same goes for cucumber. Usually finely chopped cucumber would be mixed with a little salt and would be placed in a colander to draw out the water. I don’t do this either.

If you want, you can follow the above steps.

In a bowl, add all the ingredients and mix nicely. It would not even take you more than 5 minutes to assemble this dish. But, do it atleast 30 minutes before serving. Keep it refrigerated and let the flavors mingle.

I usually use Tzatziki like ‘thayir pachadi’ or raita. In Shawarma. In a quick sandwich. As a salad dressing. As a dip with toasted pita bread. As a summer coolant with water. The possibilities are endless. I would love to know how you use it.

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JFI: Garlic - Toum - Lebanese Garlic Sauce/Mayonnaise

Posted by Mathy Kandasamy | Filed under Garlic, Dipping Sauce, Jihva For Ingredients(JFI), Archives

I am not a big fan of chain enterprises. Hence, most of my friends know my dislike for fast-food and the reasons behind and beyond the food issues. Most of us try to check out small eateries. And when a small pizzeria opened up in my neighbourhood a few years ago, my friends were one of the first people to try their spicy chicken wings. The very next day, quite a few people straggled into check out the new favourite of our friends. And there I tasted a new kind of mayonnaise that was served with the french fries.

Mayonnaise is usually served with the french fries in Northern Europe. But this is not the regular mayonnaise. The store was run by people, originally from the Middle-east. And there was an elusive taste in the mayonnaise which hooked me upuntil the last lick. Now.. I have to really know what this is. When it was my turn to pay the bill, I complimented mayonnaise and was told that it was their traditional recipe. I asked them where they were from and rushed home to google. And that’s how I came in touch with ‘Toum’ - the fabulous Lebanese Garlic Sauce. And if you every have to have mayonnaise, this is the one you should turn to. Especially if you are a garlic lover, like yours truly.

Mayonnaise, Sandwich spread, Shish Touk, Falafel, Tuna Salad, Salad dressing, Potato Salad, Mashed Potatoes. Well, you get the idea.

Recipe:

4 cloves garlic, smashed and then peeled
1/4 cup oil, (more or less). I used Olive Oil.
salt, as per taste
1 lemon, juiced

This recipe does not come with correct measurements. Cooks from the Indian sub-continent are quite familiar with these words. Most of our recipes does not have exact measurements. It’s not like baking a cake. Each cook has his/her own way with the spices. Remember that when gathering ingredients for this recipe. Be a bit more generous. But, dont be suprised if you don’t get to use up all ingredients.

Traditionally, a mortor and wooden pestle were used to make Toum. Read the wikibook recipe. But modern cooks use a Blender. You need a blender and not a food-processor.

First, blend garlic and salt to a nice paste.

Add olive oil in small amounts and blend for a few seconds. for every two time you add the olive oil, add half a teaspoon full of lemon juice and blend away. Mind you, the blender should run only for a few seconds each time.

As you keep alternating between the olive oil and lemon juice, a nice white cloud would start to form. Keep building on it to reach the amount you need.

Taste and add salt if you want.

If for some reason if the sauce did not come together don’t despair. Add a little lemon juice and blend for a few seconds. Or if you feel you should add olive oil. Go ahead. Use your intuition and be bold. The results are worth it.

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JFI: Garlic - Oven Roasted Fish

Posted by Mathy Kandasamy | Filed under Garlic, Fish, Jihva For Ingredients(JFI), Archives

Living in a tropical island has a lot advantages. First among them are fresh sea food. In my native island, the art of buying and cooking fish has been perfected over the years. Some of my relatives are even quite adventerous and attempt to fish themselves.

For those who can read Tamil and are interested in reading novels, I would like to recommend Thamizselvi’s ‘Aarukaattuththurai’(தமிழ்ச்செல்வியின் ஆறுகாட்டுத்துறை). The novel is based on a fishing village on the coast of Tamil Nadu. Brings a vivid picture of the lives of the folks living in that fishing village.

Due to lifestyle changes, fried fish has morphed into oven roasted fish. And lately fish consumption has decreased a little due to concerns over global warming. And the problems of health hazards has prevented regular consumption of fish available closer to home. But, when friends gather together organic salmon is procurred and roasted to perfection.

[Sorry about the photo quality. I always like to pop the fish into the oven at the last minute. And, I always keep forgetting to take pictures. I made do with a picture taken in December. And that picture was shot folks clammering around for a taste].

Recipe:

1 lb salmon fillet, cleaned
1 teaspoon Sri Lankan Chilli powder
4-5 cloves garlic, mashed
3 teaspoon sesame oil
salt, as per taste
1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
a pinch of black pepper

Combine all the ingredients except the fish. Drag the fish through the combined spice/oil mixture.

Place in an oil coated oven proof dish and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degree C. Cover the dish otherwise the fish would be very dry.

Note: The thickness of the fillet is quite important. Cooking time might vary according to the size of the fillet.

Serve with roasted vegetables, rice and salad.

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JFI: Garlic - Simple rustic Pasta with garlic and brocolli

Posted by Mathy Kandasamy | Filed under Broccoli, Garlic, Pasta, Jihva For Ingredients(JFI), Archives

I was introduced to Pasta when I moved to United States to study. It was part of the ‘welcome party’ where foreign students were introduced to pbj sandwiches and apple pie among other delicious Hawaiian food. Everything was going great until I tasted pasta. Pasta which was drowned in tomato sauce with some browned ground beef. It took me more than a year to go near ‘Italian Food’. Thanks to a Japanese friend of mine, who introduced me to the plain but very flavourable food from Italy, I quickly became a fan of Pasta. Should confess something here. I’m still unable to stomuch plain white Pasta.

The recipe I’m going to share here today is quite rustic and plain. But is full of nutrients and flavor.

Recipe:

1/4 lb pasta
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped brocolli florets
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt
black pepper

In a tall pan boil water and add salt and little oil. Oil is added to keep the pasta from sticking. Once the water boils add the pasta and keep an eye on it. You dont want the pasta to turn to mush. Remember what you do when you cook rice on stovetop. One would pop a grain or two in your mouth. Do the same here. Once the pasta is cooked drain the water and keep it aside. Reserve some water too, you might need it later.

In a skillet, add olive oil and quickly add the minced garlic. Let it cook for about 30 seconds and add the finely chopped brocolli florets. Close the lid. Once the brocolli florets are half-done (this might take about a minute or two), sprinkle a little salt and black pepper.

Add in the pasta and stir nicely to coat the pasta with the flavors of garlic.

Voila, from pantry to stove to plate in less than 10 minutes.

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JFI: Jackfruit - Sayur Nangka

Posted by Mathy Kandasamy | Filed under Galangal, Chilli Pepper, Green Jackfruit, Malaysian, Ginger, Garlic, Jihva For Ingredients(JFI), Side Dishes, Almonds, Turmeric, Archives

Sayur - Vegetable
Nangka - Jackfruit

The cuisine of South East Asia is quite unique in the sense it’s been influenced by various cuisines like the Indian & Chinese cuisines to a larger extent and by Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, and British cuisines by varying degrees. Personally I love learning about the cuisines of S.E.Asia starting from India and Pakistan on the west(relative west) to Japan & Phillipines in the far-east. Of all the culinary traditions, the Malay Peninsula has been heavily influenced by the Indian cuisine from time immemorial. The cultural exchange happened most recently was when the Britishers ferried away people from India and Sri Lanka to work in the plantations.

Green Jackfruit is used quite extensively in the Malay peninsula in both Indonesia and Malaysia. Jackfruit is called Nangka in the Malay language. and Sayur means ‘vegetable’. So today, for JFI: Jackfruit, Sayur Nangka from Malaysia. I asked my Malaysian friend if she or her family knew any recipes for green jackfruit. She did give me a recipe. Actually she translated one for me from Malay. She is a Malaysian-Indian, and what told me surprised me a lot. It seems neither she nor her brothers have any like for Jackfruit. Only her parents seem to enjoy it. All the siblings prefer durian to Jackfruit, itseems. Told her that I will really have to go to Malaysia now to try Durian.

Recipe:

1 can Green Jackfruit
2 shallots - finely chopped
2 green chillies - finely chopped
1 teaspoon oil
salt
1/2 cup water

Grind to a Paste

shallots - 5
garlic - 3
dried red chillies - 3
Fresh Turmeric Root - 1/4 inch
Galangal - 1/2 inch
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Candle nuts - 6 (I used Almonds)
Belacan (Shrimp paste) - 1/4 teaspoon
Lemongrass - 1/2 inch
1/4 cup water

In a food processor take shallots, garlic, dried red chillies, fresh turmeric root, galangal, ginger, candle nuts, belacan, lemongrass and blend to a coarse paste.

You can find fresh turmeric root, galangal and belacan in the Asian stores. You can also find candle nuts in those stores, if you are lucky. Please dont buy more than what you need, because candle nuts can go rancid quickly because of the high fat content. They are used to thicken the sauce and you can always substitute Almonds. But Kukui nuts are supposed to be the best substitutes. If you have Macadamia nuts, do use them. They also have a high fat content.

Belacan or Shrimp paste is used to give the extra depth to the dishes. Any dish calling for shrimp paste are quite special (atleast for me. ). Dont worry, you would only be using minuscule amounts and the smell or the taste wont stand alone and torture you. I have to confess, though that I cannot stand the smell of the shrimp paste. But the final result has somehow convinced me to keep some handy.

In a pan, heat oil and saute finely chopped shallots and green chillies. When the shallots turn slightly brown around the edges, pour in the ground spicy paste and mix nicely. Let it cook for about a minute.

Since, we are going to use canned green jackfruit they wont requite much cooking. Add the green jackfruit and mix around. Add about half a cup of water let it boil. Cook for about 5-6 minutes.

The water would have evaporated by this time and the ground spices would have been cooked thoroughly.

Serve with warm rice.

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