Beets me...

A few weeks ago, my boyfriend and I celebrated our anniversary by taking our own little eating tour of the Boston area. You know, he had me at "Honey, let's go eat for 8 hours straight..." I just knew he was the one for me :-)

One of the more memorable foods we tried that day was the beet potato latke at the Red Lentil in Watertown. These latkes were so delicious that, weeks later, I've been totally craving them. I mean, what's not to like? Fried+root vegetable=guaranteed awesome.

A lot of latke recipes call for the use of eggs as a binding agent, but I've been trying to go vegan for a while now, and I thought that beet latkes would be just fine without eggs. And I was right! This is where that big box of Ener-G egg replacer that's been chilling in the pantry forever came in seriously handy.

I got my recipe from here, but I changed it up a little to give it just a little more Indian flair. Kind of like a flat pakora. I absolutely LOVE Indian food. Pretty much, if you ask me where I want to go out to eat, I will most likely give you the name of a local Indian restaurant. And if you smell curry, it might be because I am standing next to you....

But without further ado, let's beet it!

Beet (and carrot) rockin' latkes

6 cups coarsely shredded beets/carrots ( I had 2 Godzilla-sized beets, which gave me about 5 cups shredded, and then I threw in 1 cup shredded carrots; your ratio may be different, but just make sure most of your 6 cups vegetables are beets)

6 scallions/green onions, chopped; green and white parts (less is fine if you're not an onion fan; but, as my boyfriend knows, I do like onions :-) )

8 Tbsp Gram/chickpea/besan flour You can find this in Indian food stores, or often on the international foods aisle of your supermarket; If you don't have it, all purpose flour will be just fine

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp ground pepper

Ener-G egg replacer equivalent to 3 eggs

Canola oil, or other frying oil of choice (I wouldn't personally choose olive oil, as it has a low smoke point)

Some kind of chutney or spicy/sweet sauce for serving (the traditional latke condiments of applesauce or (vegan) sour cream might be very nice too

1) Put together your egg replacer mixture. It will mix better if you stir it and let it sit for a little while. Also, using warm water will help the mixture to go into solution more easily than using the cold stuff. The regular ratio per "egg" is 1 1/2 tsp powder to 2 Tbsp water, but I knew my beet mixture would be a bit liquidy, so I left out a little water; For the equivalent of 3 eggs, I used 4.5 tsp powder and 5 Tbsp water; Stir as well as you can (there may be some clumps, it's the nature of the beast), and then leave to sit for at least a few minutes

2) Coarsely shred your beets/carrots, either in a food processor with shredder attachment (definitely quickest) or with a hand grater. I mostly hand-shredded mine, but both methods work fine. Keep in mind though, don't wear your best shirt either way. Beets stain! Next, soak up a good part of the juice from the shredded veggies with paper towels, squeezing the mixture a bit. The veggies don't have to be bone dry. Mine weren't. I definitely don't have the patience for that BS when I'm hungry...Just use your best judgement, but soak through a few paper towels at least. You don't want your latkes to fall apart in the pan.

3) In a second bowl, stir/whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and other spices, then add this to the beets. Add your chopped scallions, and then the egg replacer. Stir carefully to fully combine. The flour is sneaky, so make sure it's all mixed in!

3) Line a baking sheet or some plates with a few layers of paper towel, and then heat a thin layer of oil in a frypan over medium heat. Drop the beet mixture by 1/4 cupfuls into the heated oil. Press them about as flat as a thick-ish pancake with the back of a spoon, and try to make sure they are an even thickness all around. Fry for 4-5 mins, and then flip over and cook 4-5 mins more. Try REALLY hard to resist the urge to flip them early. I know you want to peek underneath, I did too, but give them 4-5 mins. You may want to turn your heat down to the low side of medium now that the oil is hot.

4) Once your latkes are cooked, drain them on the paper towel. If you'd like to reheat them at a a later time, put them on an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.

5) There was a celery/cilantro relish recipe at the above link, but I really didn't have fresh cilantro, so I kind of tried to make a celery "slaw" with some vegan mayo. I wasn't a huge fan of it actually (as pretty as it looks), so I mostly served the latkes with tamarind chutney, which I always have in my fridge at any given time. You can usually get tamarind, onion, coriander (cilantro) or mango chutney on the international aisle of your grocery store, and all of these would be great on the side of the beet latkes. I had some guacamole in the fridge too, and it wasn't too bad either. The Red Lentil served their latkes with cilantro vinaigrette and apricot marmalade. Some kind of sweetened mustard could be awesome too.

Being a serious Indian-foodie, I made a coconut milk yogurt and champagne-mango lassi to drink alongside my latkes. Champagne mangos are basically like the best mangos I've ever had in my life. They are also called Ataulfo mangos, and I got mine at Whole Foods. Suffice to say, yeah, they're awesome. I could eat one for dessert, and I do not say that at all lightly.

But back to the point...

Lassis are really great, cooling, yogurt-based drinks that are wonderful to have with spicy Indian foods. Using coconut milk yogurt instead of the dairy version is a really great way to veganize a lassi without feeling like you've lost anything. Blend a cup of ice, then add a couple of chopped mangos and 1/2-1 cup of plain coconut milk yogurt to taste. Add a little more ice if you like a little more liquidy-ness. As you can tell, I actually liked my lassi so much that I drank half of it before I remembered to take the picture. Vote of confidence right there...

Anyway, enjoy guys.

And Happy spring!

Okie dhokla

I am going to go ahead and admit right off that this recipe is not 100% vegan. But, then again, neither am I...yet. I'm working up to it slowly. But while I can't say this item is vegan, I can say that this somewhat flying-saucerish food item still happens to be freaking delicious.

The semi unusual-looking item above is called Sooji dhokla. "Sooji" (SOO-jee) means semolina, which is the primary ingredient of this delicious savory cake. Dhokla (which I have only heard pronounced as if it rhymes with "okra") is a dish that hails from the Gujarat region of India. I was first introduced to it by a dear friend of mine from college. Her mother is a phenomenal cook, and we were often lucky to be treated to this wonderful spicy dish after my friend returned to school after a weekend at home. It does travel rather well, and it's really warm and satisfying.

Sooji dhokla is a steamed cake made primarily from semolina, yogurt, the black mustard seeds you see sprinkled liberally over the top in the picture, chilis, and a bit of cilantro. My friend's mom I think tends to measure by sight when she makes it, but I am not, alas, nearly as skilled as she is. So, to make this on my own, I needed a recipe. Luckily, I found one at a DELIGHTFUL website called showmethecurry.com. You can find the recipe I used here. What I absolutely love about this website (beyond the AWESOME name that is) are all of the video tutorials for how to make just about every recipe on the website. The 2 phenomenal women who run the site show you, in detail, how to prepare the recipes. It's like learning from friends. In fact, these women are so likable that you may find yourself watching the videos for recipes you don't even plan to make. Believe me, I know from experience :-)

But, to see my posting of the recipe, and to hear a bit about the slight trials and tribulations of preparing it, please continue reading below. I will warn you, it does require a bit of special equipment, and a bit of patience. It's definitely not a quick weeknight meal option. But it is delicious, and will keep for a week in the fridge. I made mine and ate it every night for a week (Sooooo good!)

Thanks all, and happy cooking!

Sooji Dhokla

I highly recommend watching the video at the link above before doing this. It will really give you some good tips and a better understanding of how this works.

For the cake

2 cups sooji, or semolina (I bought this at an Indian grocery store, but a supermarket with a good international foods section might have it too)

2 Tbsp oil

1/4 tsp carom seeds (also called Ajwain); If you can't find these at your local market, and you do not have an Indian food store in the area, I'd recommend substituting whole cumin seeds

1 tsp grated ginger (I skipped this and added a few shakes of ground ginger)

1 finely chopped green chili (or to taste); If you don't have one, I'd recommend trying some driedred chili flakes

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

1 cup water

1 cup well mixed plain yogurt

1/4 tsp turmeric

2 tsp ENO brand fruit salt (this powder is also best purchased at the Indian grocery or online; You likely won't use it up that quickly, so you probably won't need to order it often; It is made, from what I understand, of a combo of sodium bicarbonate and citric acid powder; it is often used in India as an antacid, and to prevent bloating, but it is involved in a chemical reaction that has to take place for the dhokla to come together properly; I am not 100% sure if substitutions would work as well)

Cooking oil (spray type if desired)

**A stock pot with lid (preferably one that comes with a removable tray with tiny holes that can be used as a steamer)

**A cheesecloth and some sort of steamer tray with a rigid structure and small holes; bamboo steamers could work

For the brush-on infused oil

2 Tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds (I used black mustard seeds)

2 tsp sesame seeds (I skipped this too; Didn't have them, and besides, I don't think I ever saw my friend's mom use them...)

Slit, seeded green chilis to taste (optional)

Finely chopped cilantro (the ladies at smtc.com recommended 10 sprigs; I'd recommend using 4-5 Tbsp of the fresh stuff; It's definitely better than the dried variety; Unfortunately though, I didn't have any fresh cilantro in the house when I made the version pictured above; The dried stuff will do, but it's not nearly as good; 2-3Tbsp of the dry stuff - or to taste- should work in a pinch).

Onion pickle, coriander chutney, or condiment of choice (optional but recommended strongly)

First, make the cake. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir the semolina, carom (or cumin) seeds, and the oil until smooth. You do not want to see any lumps left. In another bowl, mix the yogurt, chili if desired, the salt, the turmeric, and ginger. Next, pour the yogurt mixture into the semolina mixture and stir to incorporate. To this, add your water to make sort of a batter. Let this batter sit on your counter for 15-20 mins.

And now a note**: There is actually a certain contraption you can buy (definitely in India, and maybe online) that is made for the specific purpose of steaming dhokla. I, of course, do not possess such a contraption, though it will assuredly be on my list of required souvenirs if I ever visit India. I used a pasta pot (one of the ones with a built in steamer tray that fits inside) and cheesecloth. You might be able to get away with just the cheesecloth and a steamer basket (probably the bamboo kind), but the cheesecloth is definitely essential. I warn you, however, the cheesecloth will likely get horribly messed up when you make dhokla, so you may want to be conservative with how much you use.

Now, put an inch to an inch and a half of water in a stock pot, and bring it to a boil. Spray or brush your steamer basket (and maybe even your cheesecloth) with oil to prevent the semolina cake from sticking as it cooks. It will still taste as good if it sticks, but it won't be nearly as pretty, or solid.

Once the water is boiling, you must spring into action like a jungle cat. Things will move very quickly from here. Line your steamer basket carefully with a double layer of the prepared cheesecloth(making sure to cover both bottom and sides), and place the steamer (cover off) into the pot. You are making sort of a double boiler situation here, except that the top of the double boiler needs to have holes for the steam to get in. But, as with a double boiler, make sure your steamer is suspended at least a few inches above the boiling water. The bottom of the steamer must never be in direct contact with the water.

Now here's the tricky part. Mix the fruit salt into your prepared batter and stir fairly quickly and well. The batter will start to foam due to the chemical reaction of the fruit salt. Pour the batter carefully and quickly into your cheesecloth-lined steamer. This is why your steamer must have tiny holes, and not large ones. If your steamer has large holes, the batter will probably go right through.

Now, smooth the top of the batter gently with a spatula, cover the pot with its lid, and steam the dhokla at medium heat for 15 mins. Then turn off the heat, carefully remove the steamer from the pot, and let it cool, preferably on a wire rack to let air flow underneath.

While you wait, make the infused oil.

Heat your oil to medium heat in a sauté pan or nonstick skillet. Add the mustard seeds. They should start to pop open in a few minutes, so you may want to put a splatter screen over the pan as it cooks. At the very least, please be careful and do not watch the seeds too closely as you fry them. If you are using sesame seeds, add them next and cook for a few minutes. They will pop and jump a bit also. If you want to use green chilis here, do so at this point and let cook for 30 seconds to a minute, then switch off the stove.

Once the steamed dhokla is cool enough to handle, remove it from the steamer basket, unwrap slowly and carefully from the cheesecloth, and flip onto a plate to serve. Brush your infused oil (including the seeds) over the top. This is what gives the dhokla its spice. Chop and/or sprinkle your cilantro on top just before serving.

Now cut in slices and serve to your soon-to-be-devoted-fan club. Onion pickle or coriander (cilantro) chutney are excellent condiments to serve with dhokla. You can find these at the indian grocery, or at good health food stores or supermarkets. For extra credit, you could make your own.

Happy eating!

Crazy Delicious Indian Red Lentil Dal and Parathas

I love Indian food like crazy. Anyone who has ever eaten anywhere near me most likely knows this to be true. And, the lovely thing is, I actually have choices to make when I go to restaurants where Indian food is served.

Many of you vegetarians out there (and I am sure ALL of the vegans out there) have experienced the moment while dining out with friends, when you realize that there is essentially one thing on the menu that you can eat. And it is not even particularly appetizing. Your food choice has already been made for you, and by someone who has no idea that vegetarian food can actually taste good. Sad.

BUT, there is hope guys. If you have never been to an Indian restaurant, and you even "kind-of" like spicy food, you are in for a treat. Even if you are not a major spice aficionado, chances are your local restaurant will tone down the burn factor for you if you ask. I highly recommend seeking out an Indian restaurant in your area, so that you may experience the joy of getting to pore over a menu for a few extra minutes.

I have tried many times to recreate the amazingness of Indian restaurant food on my own, with varying degrees of success. But, I am very happy to report that the following recipe is not only easy to prepare, it is totally delicious. It actually tastes like something I would order from a restaurant. And it's vegan!! Prepare yourselves for awesome guys.

Keep reading below to find the full recipes for Red Lentil Dal and Homemade Parathas. Thanks all!

Red Lentil Dal (or "Dhal") with homemade Parathas (bread)

from "The 30 Minute Vegan" by Reinfeld/Murray and "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" by Mark Bittman respectively

Start by making the paratha dough:

Parathas

1.5 cups whole wheat flour (I used chapati flour from my favorite Indian food shop)

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup water

1 tsp salt (give or take)

1/4 cup oil (I used canola, but "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" recommends grapeseed or corn oil, or 1/2 a stick of melted butter if you are not vegan)

Pulse flours and salt in a food processor to mix (about 30 seconds). I am sure you can do this by hand in a bowl, but it will be much more laborious. Turn the processor back on, and add 3/4 cup of water to flour mixture, until it forms a slightly sticky ball. (Mark Bittman recommends adding water a Tbsp at a time if mixture is too dry, flour a Tbsp at a time if the mixture is too sticky.) Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap. If you want to use it right away, leave it on the counter for 20 mins. Bittman also notes that you can leave the dough in the fridge for about 24 hours, or in the freezer for a week if you're planning your weekly meals ahead of time. This is one of the many reasons that I love Mark Bittman.

While you wait, start making your Dal. I adapted this recipe slightly from the original, due to my own tastes, and what was available in my house.

Red Lentil Dhal

1Tbsp oil (I used canola)

1 Tbsp cumin seeds (I bought them at an Indian food shop, but they are often available whole, not ground, in the supermarket. Hint: They are often on the international foods aisle if they are not on the spice aisle)

2 tsp mustard seeds (I also purchased these at my Indian food shop, but your supermarket or specialty food store will likely have these as well)

1-2 large cloves of garlic, minced (book recommends 1.5 Tbsp minced garlic)

1-2 tsp ground ginger (book recommends 1.5 Tbsp minced fresh ginger; I = too lazy for this)

2 small to medium sized onions, diced

1/2 to 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes (book recommends 1 seeded/minced jalepeño here, but I didn't have that)

6 cups water or vegetable stock (I used vegetable stock because, why not add more nutrition and rich flavor whenever you can? You're a conscientious eater and you deserve it)

1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed (I got these in bulk at the local Wholefoods, but I would think the supermarket would have them, either next to the dried beans, or in the International foods aisle)

2 tsp curry powder (I like this because you don't have to look for a million spices to fill your cabinet; Though having those other spices can come in handy if you love Indian food)

Sea salt to taste (I am not a salt person, but I added at least a teaspoon to this recipe; add to suit yourself and your audience)

Ground black pepper to taste

Cilantro for garnish (book recommends fresh, minced cilantro, but I am sure some sprinkles of the dried stuff would be fine. Frankly, I forgot to add it at all)

I would recommend chopping and measuring everything before you start cooking. It will make your life easier.

Start heating the oil in a large pot (it must accommodate at least 7-8 cups of volume plus room for stirring). Use a medium high heat. Add the cumin and mustard seeds to the oil and stir them around, coating the seeds in oil. Let cook for a few minutes, stirring consistently to make sure they do not burn. Some popping sounds may occur as the seeds cook. Please careful not to burn them, or to burn yourself by looking too closely at the cooking process. Sometimes these seeds jump as they pop open.

Add your onion, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes (or jalepeño), and cook down a bit, stirring often. I think you are aiming to get the onions translucent, but not caramelized.

Now add your veggie stock or water to the pot. Then add the lentils. This may look like a LOT of fluid for the lentils, but they will absorb most of it as they cook. If you want more of a refried bean consistency to the final product, you could probably leave out a half to a full cup of liquid, but I wouldn't recommend it. Cook the lentils, uncovered, for 20 mins or more, stirring periodically. I cooked them for about 30 mins total, to cook off a little more of the liquid. Add your curry powder and sea salt, cook for 5 mins, and turn off the heat. Add the cilantro right before serving.

And now back to the parathas. Try to prepare these while the lentils are cooking for 20-30 mins. If you like, you can also start cooking rice at this point too (see farther below).

Now that your dough has rested, divide it into 8 or so pieces. The recipe can make 8-12 parathas, but i like mine larger, so 8 was fine for me. I'd recommend covering the pieces you're not using with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap while you're not working on them. They do dry out rather quickly.

Roll each piece of dough into a ball, place on a floured surface, and roll into a 4 inch or larger circle with a rolling pin. Brush the top lightly with your oil of choice or butter (using Earth Balance will keep it vegan). Now roll the circle up "like a cigar" (according to Mr. Bittman). Then coil the cigar into a spiral like you were making a cinnamon bun. Place all of your coils onto a plate. I didn't really have any trouble with them sticking to each other, so go ahead and pack them closely to keep the coils tight.

When you are ready to cook your parathas, take one of your coiled dough pieces and flatten it. Roll it out into a thin pancake, as you did before. Brush a nonstick pan or griddle with oil or butter/margarine, and cook your parathas. About 3-5 mins per side will do it. Before you flip the paratha for the first time, make sure to brush the top with oil or margarine. Once browned on both sides, flip the paratha out onto a plate that has been covered with a napkin or paper toweling. Cook as many breads as you like, or as many as you anticipate eating with this meal. I left some of the coils covered on a plate in the fridge for a few days, and made them anew with my leftover dal every time I wanted fresh bread. It helps if you can let the coils come to room temperature again before flattening them, but it won't ruin them if you are starving like I was and you can't wait. Pre-made parathas reheat in the microwave also, but they taste much better if you make them to order with your meal.

Now, you can eat the dhal (or dal) alone with the bread, or serve with rice as I did here.

Rice: I made basmati rice (also from the Indian food shop) by boiling 2 cups of water (and a Tbsp of oil/butter/vegan margarine) for every cup of rice. I added the rice when the water and oil/butter came to a boil. Then I stirred the mixture, covered the rice, and cooked the rice for 20-25 minutes over low low heat. You can then fluff with a fork and serve.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please check out the books that the recipes came from too. The links are provided above. Now I am starving and must go eat. Thanks all!