Madhu Knits and Cooks

New Go-To Instant Pot Chana Masala Recipe - Thanks "Ministry of Curry"!

With the local libraries now open for browsing, I've returned to picking up cookbooks on a whim.  One of my latest is The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook by Archana Mundhe, who runs the Ministry of Curry blog.  The first recipe I tried was her Chickpea Curry or Chana Masala.  One benefit of this recipe is that you don't need to soak the chickpeas overnight, approx. 4 - 5 hours in hot water is sufficient to result in creamy, evenly cooked chickpeas.

I've made this recipe twice, and I suggest making a few modifications:

• I've halved the dried chickpeas to 1/2 cup each time, and this amount of chickpeas probably can be cooked in less than 35 minutes.  I recommend starting at 32 minutes on high pressure the next time.
• Omit the coriander - it's just not to my personal preference.
• Try substituting a chana masala spice blend for the garam masala, per the online recipe (I've only used the garam masala before, but want to try mixing it up because I do like the chana masala spice blend I have).
• Note:  The online recipe calls for 1 tsp. of minced ginger and 1 tbsp. of minced garlic, but the cookbook calls for 1 tsp. each so not sure how much garlic would end up tasting if I follow the online recipe next time.

Lisa Fain / The Homesick Texan's Salsa Tatemado - Mild, Smokey Tomato Salsa

With Cinco de Mayo fast approaching, I decided that I wanted to up my salsa game and turned to the excellent Homesick Texan for advice.  I settled on Lisa Fain's salsa tatemada recipe because it seemed sufficiently different from other salsas that I've made.

The salsa ended up being quite easy to prepare, even with my substitution of tomatoes on the vine for plum tomatoes and my use of a foil-lined quarter baking sheet instead of a skillet.  You basically roast the heck out of the ingredients before blending the ingredients with salt and water.

The result was smokey, mildly spicy, and had an unexpected herbiness from the fresh cilantro blended into the salsa.  I added extra salt to to get more of the ingredients' flavor to come out, and moving forward I will likely play with the cilantro ratio.  There was something  unpleasant I found about the fresh cilantro blended in with the roasted ingredients, even though I otherwise like cilantro. 

Regardless, this will likely be a recipe repeat this summer!

Incredibly Fast Hot & Sour Napa Cabbage

With some withering napa cabbage in the fridge, what to do?  Put it in the wok!  

But for my first carbon steel wok experience, an important lesson was learned - wok cooking is very fast!  I learned this through overcooking the cabbage, which meant cooking it for 6 minutes instead of 4, which the Cook's Illustrated recipe I used recommended.  I also didn't adjust the sauce ratio for the smaller amount of napa cabbage that I used, so the result was not only overcooked, but also a little watery.

Despite those issues, the cabbage still had a wonderful flavor - tangy and slightly spicy.  I will make this recipe again, but with everything prepped well prior to flash cook the cabbage.

Rancho Gordo's Lentil and Carrot Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette - A New Lunchtime Staple

When I ordered my first supply of Rancho Gordo beans, I signed up for their email list which includes periodic bean recipes.  If the first recipe is an indication of how good their recipes are, consider me a fan! 

Their lentil and carrot salad with mustard vinaigrette was delicious - the lentils (earthy), parsley (herby), carrot (sweet), and mustard vinaigrette (tart) all individually and collectively shined in this simple salad that can last for days.  I can see myself making this not only for lunches, but also for summertime gatherings as a healthy side.

The modifications I made included:

• Used 1/2 cup dried lentils, cooked for 7 minutes high pressure in the Instant Pot (natural release)
• I didn't measure the vinaigrette ingredients apart from the mustard, and I used approx. 2/3 of the vinaigrette (leftovers in a conventional lettuce salad later in the week)
• Used 5 small carrots

Dishoom's Rajma - good, not great, with an unexpected twist

With the Dishoom cookbook now mine, all mine, I've been trying more of their recipes, including their version of rajma.  I made some modifications to Dishoom's recipe though, including estimating ingredients to make ~100g of the onion masala, using the Instant Pot to pre-cook 2/3 cup of dried red beans, and omitting tomato paste because I didn't have any at home.  

The resulting flavor was very good, with an unexpected added richness from butter, which I don't think I have ever seen in a rajma recipe.  

Ultimately, I would say this recipe was very good but not excellent - nice ginger, garlic, and tomato flavors coupled with well-cooked red beans - but nothing really wowed me.  I think the tomato paste would have added a deeper sweet and tart flavor to the beans though, so that will be a feature of my next attempt which I imagine is more months and years ahead instead of in days or weeks.

Jessica Murnane's Delicious Za'atar Sweet Potatoes and Kale

Sumac has made a comeback in my kitchen.  After not touching it for five years, I've used it twice in the past two months.  Today's version is thanks to a delicious sweet potato and kale recipe via Epicurious and cookbook author Jessica Murnane.  

I simplified the recipe by following some of the commenter's approach of just roasting the 1/2-inch sweet potato chunks for 25 minutes (stirring once at the 15-minute mark) instead of parboiling then roasting the potatoes.  I also inadvertently simplified the recipe by not tossing the potatoes in za'atar before adding to the kale, rather just added the za'atar at the end to both the cooked kale and sweet potato.  

Key tips - don't skip on the za'atar.  It really makes this deliciously tart, spiced, and earthy meal come alive.  I also didn't mix the olive oil in the za'atar to store the leftover za'atar (excellent on popcorn!) for longer.  I will definitely make this again as a healthy and hearty side dish or lunch in the future.

Vegan Pho - Surprisingly Easy and Delicious Complete Meal

We ordered our first pho delivery of the pandemic several weeks ago, which reignited my desire to make vegan pho at home.  I've been quietly planning for this moment for years, with star anise in the pantry and dried rice noodles at the ready.  But whenever I've thought about actually making vegan pho, I've rejected what I thought would be a too-consuming effort to produce a quality meal.

Of course, the punch line is that making top-quality vegan pho at home couldn't be easier.  You don't need to simmer the broth for too long (30 minutes before adding the vegetables and noodles) thanks to charring ginger and onion in broiler beforehand to achieve deep flavor.

The final broth is umami-rich and deeply sweetly spiced, with almost caramel notes, and contrasts nicely with the fresh cilantro, scallions, and chile.  Thanks to two online recipes - Gimme Some Oven and Cookies and Kate - for providing basic guidance and inspiration for my personalized, mushroom-free approach.

Ingredients

(2-3 main course servings)

• 1/2 red onion, halved
• 1.5 inch piece of ginger, cut into 3-4 large chunks
• 1 star anise
• 2 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp. Better than Bouillon No Chicken Base
• 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
• Splash of rice vinegar
• ~8-10 Baby bok choy, cleaned and halved, or greens desired
• 1/2 package dried rice noodles, prepared via package directions (I soaked in hot water for 30 minutes while the soup broth simmered)
• Diced scallions, cilantro, green chile, or other toppings (e.g., Thai basil, sprouts) to taste
• Lime wedges for serving

Directions

• Pre-heat broiler on high, and place halved red onion and ginger on baking sheet.  Broil on high for 8 minutes approx. 4 inches from broiler, turning once halfway
• In a soup pot or dutch oven, dry toast the star anise, cloves and cinnamon for 3 minutes on medium-high heat or until fragrant
• Add 6 cupes water, charred onion and ginger, Better than Bouillon, and tamari, and bring to a boil
• Reduce heat to medium and simmer broth for 30 minutes
• Remove the spices, ginger, and onions from the broth, and add a splash of rice vinegar and the halved baby bok choy.  Cook for 3 minutes, then add noodles for another 2 - 4 minutes.
• Served immediately with scallions, cilantro, chile, and lime wedges

The Tik Tok Feta Tomato Pasta Sensation - Via the Washington Post

I don't have Tik Tok, but as the Washington Post recently displayed with their version of the Tik Tok #bakedfetapasta, its reach far surpasses the app.  With some leftover feta in the fridge, why not try this global sensation?

Despite my modifications to fit the amount of feta I had, the result was very good - creamy, spicy, tart, and salty.  A great and easy weeknight pasta!  My modifications were as follows:

• I didn't measure the olive oil, but think I had slightly more than half the amount of sauce with 1.25 pints of grape / cherry tomatoes and 4 oz of feta
• I put may more crushed red pepper than called for, and probably could have reduced to the called-for amount
• Cooked for 40 minutes
• Approx. 8 oz of pasta
• No basil 

My First Quilt - Thank You Purl Soho for a True DIY Experience!

My proudest pandemic project - my first homemade quilt!  This project took ~7 months and during each step, I learned something new. 

I made a lot of mistakes.  So my advice for prospective quilters - slow and steady wins the race.  When you make a mistake, it's fine.  Just learn, undo, and redo (correctly), and you too can have a beautiful quilt through many hours of work.

All thanks for this amazing project go to Purl Soho's Learn How to Sew a Patchwork Quilt pattern.  The directions were fairly clear, and when they weren't, I was able to google advice to get by.  I was amazed that I could get through this project without a class or speaking to an instructor, and it was really due to this pattern and the tremendous quilting advice online.

A few notes for future projects - for some reason, I don't have or misplaced my 1/4 inch sewing foot but thankfully settings 37 and 38 on my Brother machine achieve the same measurements.  Always make sure you are sewing the wrong sides together unless otherwise directed.  Hand-stitching the back of the binding takes longer than expected but results in a beautiful finish. 

I used slightly smaller squares (4 inch v. 4.5) than called for in the pattern because I was using a Liberty of London fabric sampler I bought years ago in London, but the result was still great.  

A Truly Unique and Mouthwatering Saag Paneer - with Feta!

I checked out Priya Krishna's great Indian-ish cookbook from our library ebook reader, and the recipe that immediately caught my eye was the Feta Saag Paneer recipe.  

Feta instead of paneer?  Yes, it works!  And it works really, really well.  The saltiness and brine of the feta melts wonderfully into the cooked spinach to create a creamy, tart, and herby dish, though I think Krishna's liberal use of butter helps enhance the flavor as well :-)

I made a few modifications to this recipe - substituted 1 tsp. of ground coriander for seeds based on the recipe reviews and personal preference, less butter (don't remember how much, but I think just a small amount works), and one Thai red chile.  I also reduced the spices overall because I had only 10 oz of spinach and about 4 oz of feta.  

Yum!  I look forward to making this recipe again.