A Tale of Spice(s)

No surprises here given the blog title, but I love spices. You can use one to add a particular kind of flavor, like cinnamon in your oatmeal, or you can mix and match to build layers of interesting flavors (now you also know that I binge watch Chopped!). There is a spice somewhere that pairs with almost any food out there. Spice blends like curry powders, garam masala and Italian season have been around forever making every cook's life easier. But you know what's more fun? Making your own spice blends. And that is just what I have for you in this post.

This is a spice mix that I put together for roasting sweet potatoes. This happened at some point when I fell in love with sweet potato fries, but eating those all the time is just too unhealthy. So I started experimenting with spiced, roasted sweet potatoes as a substitute and that's when I hit upon this spice mix. It will work with regular potatoes, carrots and squashes (butternut, acorn) as well. I haven't tried it on other vegetables or on meat, but let me know if you try it. This blend is a breeze to make if you have a coffee or spice grinder, or a mini food processor that can chop nuts. If not, there's nothing like grinding whole spices with a mortar and pestle after a long, frustrating day at work/school/home. So here we go....

Spice Blend for Roasted Vegetables

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 cloves
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
scant 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder

Grind the fennel, coriander and cumin seeds, and the cloves together. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix well and store in a dry, airtight container. That's it......easy-peasy!

Notes:
1. You can dry roast the seeds on a dry skillet for a couple of minutes before grinding if you prefer it that way.

2. Choose your grind for the spices....I typically go with slightly coarse, as you can see in the picture, but that has more to do with using a mortar and pestle. You will likely get a finer grind with a grinder / processor.

3. You can leave the brown sugar out if you don't like the sweetness, but I find it helpful for the caramelization when roasting.

Veggie Delight

Hello readers....well at least those of you that have still been following this long dormant blog! I've lost count of how many disappearances and comebacks I've had on this blog, so let's not go there. But here I am with a new blog look, new ideas (see the About page for more) and a brand new recipe! This one will hopefully delight my vegetarian readers. This one also makes eggplant (brinjal / aubergine....what's in a name) taste awesome for all those of you who don't like it.....so try it and tell me what you think!

Sweet and Sour Eggplant

1 medium eggplant, diced
1/2 large-ish red onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1.5 teaspoons red chili pepper paste / hot sauce (or more if you like it)
2 tablespoons honey
1.5 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cups water / vegetable stock
1 tablespoon white vinegar
salt, to taste

Heat oil in a saute pan or any other wide pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions soften (and turn pink....you don't need to brown them). Throw in the eggplant, cover the pan and cook until the eggplant softens. If the eggplant starts sticking to the pan, add a splash of water. When the eggplant softens, add the bell pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes.

For the sauce, combine the tomato paste, soy sauce, chili paste, honey, salt and water in a bowl. Add the sauce mix to the vegetables and let it come to a boil. In the meanwhile, make a slurry with the cornstarch and a tablespoon of water, and add it to the boiling sauce. Mix well and cook until the sauce thickens. Finally, add the vinegar. Serve with steamed rice and most importantly, enjoy!

Notes:

1. While I prefer homemade chili paste (soaked dried red chili peppers ground in a food processor / grinder with some water), feel free to use Sriracha or any other hot sauce.

2. Some people prep the diced eggplant by adding salt, letting it sit, draining the liquid and then rinsing and drying the eggplant. I am too lazy to do it, but feel free to go ahead if that's how you like it.

3. Substitute honey with sugar if you want to....just might need more mixing to dissolve the sugar. Substitution is probably not one to one, so check it out.

4. Add more slurry with the sauce is too watery even after you let the sauce cook with the slurry in it.

Kebab Time

Hola readers! It has been a while since a posted......a seriously long while. In case you were wondering (I hope you were.....) if I stopped blogging, here's your answer. This blog and I are still around to share my culinary adventures, but posting has been and will be a little sporadic for some time.....so, my apologies.

Now since that is out of the way, let's talk food. I love the flavors of fresh coriander (cilantro) and mint. Those two can brighten up most savory food and do an excellent job of it. But even with all the cleaning and ziplock bagging, the rate at which fresh herbs become slimy/yellow is way faster than my rate of consuming them. So, how do you get the most out of your grocery store haul of cilantro and mint? You grind them together into a paste, that's how! I put generous amounts of cilantro and mint into my food processor along with some fresh ginger, garlic and green chilies. Et voila! The result is a beautiful spice paste or 'green masala' that can go into curries, marinades or even work as a condiment with some dressing up. 

So what did I do with my herb paste? I incorporated it into some seriously delicious chicken kebabs / mini burgers / koftas. Name them what you like, but first read on for how you make them. :)

Chicken Kebabs
(makes about 15)

1 lb ground chicken (450 grams)
3/4 cup green masala / herb paste (Recipe follows)
1/2 medium sized onion, chopped finely
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon tandoori chicken masala or garam masala
1/4 cup breadcrumbs, more if required
1 teaspoon kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves), optional if you can't find it
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder, completely optional
1 tablespoon oil

Mix the bread crumbs, salt, tandoori chicken masala, kasoori methi and red chilli powder (if using). Mix the ground chicken, onion and herb paste well. Add the breadcrumb mixture and combine. Divide the mixture into equal portions. Shape them like mini burgers.

Heat the oil in a shallow frying pan on medium heat. Cook the kebabs/burgers on both sides until browned and completely cooked, about 10 minutes on each side.

Serve with yogurt, tamarind-date chutney, a cabbage slaw or with mini buns like sliders.

Green Masala
(should make about 3/4 cup)

1.5 loosely packed cup cilantro leaves, stalks removed
3/4 cup mint leaves
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 Thai green chili peppers or any other green chili pepper

Grind all the ingredients in a food processor until you get a paste consistency. Add a spoonful of water while grinding, if required. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes:

1. The chili peppers in the herb paste are hot enough. Adjust the quantity per your heat tolerance. Add ground chili powder ONLY IF you like very hot/spicy food.

2. The quantities for the masala paste are indicative. Experiment all you want with the proportions.