Naan and Crispy Okra Raita

Last night we had a simple supper. I had planned on making curry, rice, two chutneys and a raita to go with homemade naan. However while watching the Stanley Cup we had some popcorn and that filled us up, so I modified the menu. I made the naan because I had already started the dough earlier in the day and the beautiful Okra I purchased at the Farmer’s Market was calling me, so I made a Crispy Okra Raita.  That is all we had for supper along with some carrot pickles I made a month or so ago.

Indian Breads have always been a passion of mine, along with the many chutneys and riatas that go so well with them. Naan is my “go to” simple bread. I like to change it up with various flavors, carmelized onions, roasted garlic, poppy seeds etc. Last night I added roasted garlic and smothered them in melted ghee and then sprinkled on some of my smoked salt.

Here is the Naan recipe and the Crispy Okra Raita recipe. Tonight I will be making pumpkin curry and rice along with more naan and the raita and a coriander and mint chutney.

Naan (home style)

©Devany Vickery-Davidson 1999

This is a thick home-style Naan, my favorite kind. There are many other varieties of Naan, much like pizza with different shapes and thicknesses. I would call this recipe “basic Naan”. It is easily baked in a very hot oven, of course, a Tandoor is ideal for making these, but since few Americans have a Tandoor, or even a wood burning oven like I do, I would suggest a few hints for baking. I have even made these on a gas grill before and they came out fantastically. In my Viking Convection Oven, there is a setting beyond basic convection, it is convection bake. In this mode the convection oven is working and the broiling element also kicks in. It is an effective way to bake breads and pizzas, but to prevent too much browning you need to put only one tray in at a time and it should be on the middle rack. So, I am assuming you have a conventional oven and want to make naan. It can be done.

You will need unglazed quarry tiles if you do not have a wood burning oven. Or there is a bread insert you can buy that is made of ceramic material to hold in heat for baking. You can buy this online at a variety of cooking sites.

If you do not want to invest in tiles or an insert, you can try it on a VARY heavy baking pan, or better yet, use your grill or a heavy duty griddle.

I use an old sourdough starter for all of the breads I bake. I will give this recipe for making Naan with yeast instead. I bought my original sourdough starter at Bobolink Dairy in New Jersey.

2 teaspoons dry yeast (organic if you can find it)

½ cup of warm water (no hotter than 115˚)

1 cup of organic yogurt (I make my own, but if you want to buy it, look for a Greek style or Middle Eastern brand).

1 cup of boiling water

5 cups of whole wheat or unbleached organic flour (depending on how rustic you want the loaves to be)

2 tablespoons of ghee or olive oil

1 tablespoon of sea salt

6-8 tablespoons of sesame or poppy seeds or crushed garlic, depending on the flavor you want.

In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over the warm water and stir to mix.

Put the yogurt in a bowl and gradually stir in the boiling water & let cool for about 15 minutes, if using a thermometer it should be about 110 ˚. Thius far, your mixture is called a sponge.

At this point, mix the yougurt mixture and the yeast mixture together. Stir (or I use a Kitchen Aid Mixer) approximately 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Continue adding more flour & kneading as needed to make a smooth and elastic, but slightly wet “sponge”.

Cover and let stand for one hour or more.

Sprinkle the oil and salt on to the sponge. Mix in the remaining flour, about ½ of a cup at a time to make a smooth dough. Continue kneading till the dough is smooth and elastic (either by hand or Kitchen Aid). If the dough is too sticky, add more flour slowly.

Oil a large bowl. Put the dough in it and turn to coat the dough with oil. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough and divide it into 4-6 pieces, depending on how large you want the naan.  Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to 6 inch or so discs. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven and tiles to 450˚ if you are using them.  If you are using a baking pan, pre-heat it too. If you are using a wood burning oven, bring it to 500˚. This can also be cooked directly on a grill, but it will not be as moist inside and does not keep well when done in that manner.

I use a Pizza Peel, but if you do not have one, a large sturdy spatula will do. Lightly flour it and roll out the dough on to it, making about 6 X 8 rectangles or teardrop shapes. Use a razor blade to cut a few slashes in the top of each loaf.

Slide the dough on to the grill or baking sheets and bake each for about 5 minutes. When you take them out of the oven you can add sesame, poppy or other seeds or crushed garlic with butter.

Crispy Okra Raita inspired by Ruta Kahate in her book 5 spices, 50 dishes

Ruta Says: “Oddly enough, children in India love okra.” But it’s hardly surprising; whether sautéed, fried or stuffed, the vegetable is prepared in a way that makes its texture pleasing rather than gooey. In this recipe, for instance, the okra becomes crunchy and addictive on its own; stirred into spiced yogurt, it is even better. This can be eaten on its own, or served with thalipeeth or naan.

Ingredients:

8 ounces fresh or frozen, cut okra

1 small red onion, chopped

6 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 cup plain whole or low fat yogurt

¾ to 1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar or jaggery grated

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

Method:

Wash the okra and towel dry each one thoroughly. Slice into ¼ inch-thick rounds. If using frozen okra, do not thaw.

Heat 5 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is very hot, add the okra & onion, toss and let sizzle. Toss occasionally. The okra will slowly crisp and turn brown. Note: frozen okra may not crisp as well, this is OK, just be sure to brown it well. Once all of the okra is well browned, remove to a paper towel lined platter and set aside till ready to serve.

Make the tad Crispy Okra Raita

My friend Ruta Says: “Odly enough, children in India love okra.” But it’s hardly surprising; whether sautéed, fried or  stuffed, the vegetable is prepared in a way that makes it’s texture pleasing rather than gooey. In this recipe, for instance, the okra becomes crunchy and addictive on it’s own; stirred into spiced yogurt, it is even better. This can be eaten on it’s own, or served with thalipeeth.”

Ingredients:

8 ounces fresh or frozen, cut okra

6 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 cup plain whole or low fat yogurt

¾ to 1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar or jaggery grated

1 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons mustard seeds (I use a mixture of brown and yellow)

Method:

Wash the okra and towel dry each one thoroughly. Slice into ¼ inch-thick rounds. If using frozen okra, do not thaw.

Heat 5 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is very hot, add the okra, toss and let sizzle. Toss occasionally. The okra will slowly crisp and turn brown. Note: frozen okra may not crisp as well, this is OK, just be sure to brown it well. Once all of the okra is well browned, remove to a paper towel lined platter and set aside till ready to serve.

Make the tadka: Whisk the yogurt with the salt (to taste) and sugar place the cayenne and tumeric in a small pile on the raita, but do not stir in. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a butter warmer or small skillet over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the mustard seeds, covering th pan with a lid or spatter screen. After the mustard seeds stop sputtering, pour the hot oil directly on top of the cayenne and turmeric powder. This cooks the powdered spices without burning them. Do not stir the dressing in yet.

For presentation prior to serving, place the crisp okra on top of the dressing. Stir the okra and dressing into the yogurt while serving.

Serves 2-4

ka: Whisk the yogurt with the salt (to taste) and sugar place the cayenne and turmeric in a small pile on the raita, but do not stir in. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a butter warmer or small skillet over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the mustard seeds, covering the pan with a lid or spatter screen. After the mustard seeds stop sputtering, pour the hot oil directly on top of the cayenne and turmeric powder. This cooks the powdered spices without burning them. Do not stir the dressing in yet.

For presentation prior to serving, place the crisp okra on top of the dressing. Stir the okra and dressing into the yogurt while serving.

Serves 2-4

Tandori Night in Hilo

I love Indian flavors. We do not have a single Indian restaurant on this island and so, like many things it comes down to creating these dishes at home.

What a fun meal. Even if it was just for two, it was one of the best I have had in a while. Tandori shrimp (sourced from the National Energy Labs Seafood Farmer’s Market,) homemade Naan, Mint Coriander Chutney (very spicy,) Mint Coriander Riata (cooling,) Smashed Grilled Yukon Gold Potatoes with Cumin Butter, Corn on the cob with Cumin Butter. Here are the recipes for you:

 Tandori Style Grilled Shrimp

 ©Devany Vickery-Davidson 2002

Mix up this base seasoning and store it for up to two months

 

Tandori Seasoning

6 tablespoons hot smoked paprika
2 tablespoons whole coriander toasted and ground
2 tablespoons whole cumin toasted and ground

2 tablespoons fennel seeds toasted and ground

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt (I use my own smoked Hawaiian salt)
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons ground sumac (optional, if you cannot find it omit it)
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Add the following and mix well:

The seasoning mix

1 cup of organic yogurt

5 cloves of garlic finely pureed in a food processor or mortar and pestle

Juice & zest of one lemon or lime

A 2” piece of fresh ginger, peeled and ground up in a food processor (you can do this with the garlic) or mortar and pestle.

This mixture will marinate up to 2# of chicken thighs or shrimp/prawns or fish.

Stir all together and place in a zip lock bag for 2-3 hours.

Place on a well oiled grill that has been pre-heated and cook through. Chicken will take much longer than fish or shrimp.

Naan

INGREDIENTS:

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour

2 teaspoons minced garlic(optional) or 4 tablespoons sautéed finely chopped onion

1/4 cup butter, melted

METHOD:

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.

Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy.

Stir in jaggery, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough.

Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth.

Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and set aside to rise.

Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic or onion if using.

Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.

At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned.

Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, place in foil wrapped with a towel and continue the process until all the Naan has been prepared.

The dough will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator if you do not want to use it all at once. I prefer to make these fresh for each meal. Though if there are any leftover, you will see me eating them for breakfast with the chutney.

Cilantro and Mint Chutney

This EASY EASY basic chutney is perfect for using as a dipping sauce with cutlets and samosas or to serve with main course dishes like biryani. I love it on Naan.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

·         1 bunch fresh mint (sometimes I use two bunches if they are small)

·         1 bunch fresh coriander/cilantro (or equal amount to mint)

·         1 Tablespoon each coriander and cumin seeds, toasted and ground

·         6-8 cloves garlic

·         1" piece of ginger

·         2 green Serrano or Hawaiian chilies more if you are a fire mouth like me

·         1 Tablespoon grated jaggery or palm sugar

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         3 Teaspoons lime juice

Method:

·         Cut off roots from both mint and coriander, peel garlic and ginger and remove stalks from green chilies then cut into chunks. Wash all these ingredients thoroughly.

·         Grind these and all the remaining ingredients into a smooth paste in a food processor. You can add yoghurt to the recipe in varying proportions. I usually add ¼ cup but if you want more of a riata, add 1 cup. I made both versions for this meal.

·         Chill and serve.

Smashed grilled Yukon Gold Potatoes with Cumin Butter

Microwave or Bake the potatoes till they are just barely soft. DO NOT overcook or they will fall apart.

Smash slightly so that they are about ½ of an inch thick.

Baste with butter that has been seasoned with some ground cumin.

Put on a hot grill and turn after 3-4 minutes. Baste again and add sea salt and cracked black pepper. Cook another 4-5 minutes and remove from the grill. 

Indian Flavors in a Yellow Pepper...

For a while Suvir Saran has enchanted me. His restaurant Devi in New York was one of my favorite places in a sea of wonderful restaurants (more of them than any other place I  have ever been to unsurprisingly so). Partly because of the incredible flavors that emanated from his kitchen but also because my own nickname has been Devi since childhood. I coveted the matchbooks. I loved coming into the saffron scented rooms, the very tall and yet intimate space of Devi. The first time I went there (2004) I saw (and grabbed) a postcard advertising his then new book, Indian Home Cooking. It is to this day one of my favorites because as much as Indian Cuisine is an immense subject floating over many regions and capturing spices and flavors that are uniquely Indian, it also has some deep roots in small home kitchens. Suvir captured the essence of home cooking in India in this book. Not much of the food at Devi resembled Indian Home Cooking at first glance, it looked more complicated, more special, but deep down the roots of Devi's food were intertwined with everything Suvir learned in his younger days. He is an astonishingly handsome, gentle mannered man and he has a true gift for teaching the art of Indian Cooking. I suppose I bow to him among other culinary influences in my life. And that is what brings me to today's post. I recently picked up Indian Home Cooking and rifled through the pages to get some inspiration. It did not take me long to start bookmarking the pages for things I wanted to cook again. In the coming weeks I may share more of the meals I have been enjoying from his books (he also penned American Masala), but for now, let's just get to something simple and amazingly complex at the same time, Bharwaan Mirchee: Stuffed Bell Peppers

While I adore Suvir's inspirations, I do play a bit with my food, so this recipe is my take on his concept... I have altered a few things and added things like curry leaf which I adore and have in abundance in my Hawaiian garden. For much of my Indian cooking I find myself asking friends to send me spices from Indian markets on the mainland. But this recipe can be made almost anywhere. The fresh curry leaves grow here as  massive trees. But most Indian Markets on the mainland have them fresh if you ask.

Bharwaan Mirchee: Stuffed Bell Peppers
Serves 4

The connection between food and the visual arts has always fascinated Suvir. These spiced potato stuffed peppers are a food he remembers from his youth. You can adjust the heat a bit by adding more of the hot peppers or discarding more of their seeds and membranes. You might want to add some garlic paste. I have done that before. I sometimes halve this recipe when it is just the two of us.

1 1/2 pounds of golden or red boiling potatoes (or you can use 2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes as I did)
4 small brightly colored bell peppers
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 serrano chile or two hot Hawaiian chiles, seeded and chopped finely
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint finely chopped
2 scallions or chives finely chopped
a 1 inch piece of fresh ginger grated with a micro plane
3 tablespoons fresh curry leaf finely chopped (optional)
Juice of 1 lime or lemon ( I prefer lemon for this)
crushed black pepper corns
sea salt (about a teaspoon)
1 large egg whisked with a pinch each of salt and cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons of canola or olive oil

Put the potatoes in a large pan with cold water to cover and boil till very tender, 30-40 minutes

While the potato cooks, core and remove the seeds & membranes of the peppers leaving a 2 inch opening.

In a dry skillet, toast the seeds till they begin to pop, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Coarsely grind in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder (I use both... and have  a dedicated spice grinder (used to be a coffee grinder)

When the potatoes are cooked, peel and mash them in a large bowl. Add the ground spices, ginger, cayenne and herbs, lemon juice, peppers, salt and black pepper stirring to blend then taste. You may want to add more salt or pepper or even a hint of ghee. Sometimes I also add shredded paneer.

Fill t he peppers to the top with the potato spice mixture.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the oil in a medium oven proof pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, dip the peppers open sides down into the egg to coat the stuffing.

Place the peppers egg side down into the hot oil  and cook until a golden coating has developed.

Turn the peppers right side up and place the whole pan in the oven for 30-40 minutes and serve hot.

Carrot Pickle

Last night we had some new friends over for dinner. They just arrived from Portland and will be on the island for the next three months to decide if they want to move here permanently. I made an Indian dinner which included papadams, okra riata, cilantro and mint chutney, naan, Marathi Yellow Fried Rice, Grilled Lobster claws and one of my favorite Indian things, Carrot Pickles. I am including the easy recipe, given to my by my friend Madhu in Chicago many years ago. It was her mother's recipe, so there are no exact measurements, but what you end up with is a delicious pickle that stays crisp in the refrigerator for several weeks. It has all of my favorite elements, spicy, sweet and tart flavors. I am approximating the amounts here so taste and make sure your base is as you want it to taste and adjust the vinegar and sugar if needed.

6 carrots peeled and cut into matchstick slices.
3 Tbs each mustard seeds, methi seeds and urad dal.
2/3 cup canola oil
1 large red onion, 6 garlic cloves & a 1" piece of ginger that  have been pureed
a hand full of curry leaves
chili powder (i used ancho and a bit of cayenne) to taste
1/2 tsp each tumeric & cumin powder
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown or raw sugar
1 teaspoon salt

In a wok, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, methi seeds and urad dal. When they start to sputter, add the ginger/onion/garlic puree. Throw in the curry leaves until light brown. Lower heat and add the remaining spices & the salt and sugar. Add the vinegar and taste. Adjust spices if needed. It should be spicy, sweet and tart. Add the carrots and put into a large glass jar. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. You are going to love it!