Cauliflower Cutlets/Patties with Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Dear Foodies,

We are finally seeing some much needed rains here this weekend. Its been overcast for the last few days with frequent bursts of rain and glimpses of pretty rainbows throughout the day. Since we hardly see a string of dull days like this its a nice time to indulge in snacks and piping hot chai/coffee and get cozy at home. I love cutlets/tikkis/patties whatever you choose to call them and this was a perfect time to try a few variations.

Cauliflower is a summer/fall season vegetable yet I still spot them in a myriad colors (white, yellow, purple!) and their adventurous friends - romanesco and brocoflower at the farmers market. Tempted by the offerings I pick a different color each time and experiment with new ways of preparing them instead of my go to method. I used a whole head of yellow cauliflower in this recipe but you could just as well swap any other veggie you have on hand. I made a variation of this by coarsely blending soaked garbanzo beans, coriander stalks and leaves, green chillies and added mashed boiled potatoes along with the spices mentioned in the recipe below.

The best part of a cutlet is the crispy crust and semolina/rava is the magic ingredient here. I find using chickpea flour or bread crumbs as a binder makes cutlets dense and takes away from the flavor of the veggies. Both those are overcome by using rava and as a bonus it gives them the awesome crispy texture we crave. If you are impatient like me in the kitchen this also lets you get away with out waiting for all the water to drain from steaming veggies.

No matter how good your veggie mix its a sturdy iron skillet that seals the deal in getting the texture right and using less oil. If you don't have one then get one right away! A heavy bottom stainless steel skillet might also work here but not a non-stick pan since you'll be left with sloppy cutlets. Not good.

I used my skillet to char mini red peppers under the broiler for the pepper dip. This dip is based on the recipe for Spanish romesco sauce but with the number of substitutions I made I think I would offend folks if I called it that! :) The recipe calls for stale bread and I only had stale pita bread on hand so use whatever you have available.

Cauliflower Cutlets/Patties

Prep time: 15-20 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Servings: makes 6-8  4"patties

Ingredients:

• 1 head of Cauliflower
• 2 Scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp - Chaat masala
• 1/2 tsp - Coriander and Cumin powder, each
• 1 tsp - Red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
• 1/8 tsp - Turmeric powder
• 2 Tbsp - Rava/Semolina
• 2 Tbsp - toasted Pita bread crumbs, powdered (or add more rava) 
• 2 tsp - Lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp - Cilantro, chopped
• 3-4 - Mint leaves, chopped
• Salt to taste
• 4-5 Tbsp - Oil

Method:

1. Separate cauliflower into florets and reserve tender stems. Steam in microwave with a little sprinkle of water or plunge in salted, boiling water for a few minutes. With either method keep in mind that stems take a few minutes longer to cook than florets.
2. Place skillet on medium-low heat. Drain florets and add to a mixing bowl with all other ingredients. Using a potato masher or fork gently combine and form a coarse mix. Taste test and add seasonings. 
3. Form rough 4" round patties about 1/2" thick and place on skillet. Drizzle drops of oil around each patty and cook 2-3 mins on each side until golden brown. Serve immediately as is with a dip and as a burger patty.

Note: I made a variation of this by coarsely blending soaked garbanzo beans, coriander stalks and leaves, green chillies and mashed boiled potatoes along with similar spices. Quick pickled red onions made by soaking sliced onions in red wine vinegar for 10-15 mins makes for a zesty accompaniment.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Servings: makes ~2 cups

Ingredients:

• 5 mini colored peppers or 2 regular red bell peppers
• 2 - Plum tomatoes 
• 5 - Garlic cloves
• 10-12 - Almonds and Walnuts, each 
• 2 - small Pita breads, quartered (or use 2 bread slices )
• 1-2 Tbsp - Red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp - Lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp - Coriander & Fennel powder
• 1/2 tsp - Paprika
• 3-4 Tbsp - Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg. Wrap garlic cloves (with skin) in foil along with a drizzle of olive oil and roast for 20 mins. Spread nuts and pita bread on a baking sheet and roast for about 10 mins.
2. Next place halved peppers and tomatoes cut side down on a skillet, spray cooking oil and broil for 15-20 mins until outer skin appears blistered. You can do this on a open grill as well. Place roasted peppers and tomatoes in a bowl and cover tightly with cling film or lid to loosen skins. Allow to rest for a few minutes before peeling.
3. Once cooled, squeeze roasted garlic cloves from skin into a blender jar. Add roasted peppers, tomatoes, nuts, pita bread, all other ingredients and half of the red wine vinegar and olive oil. Process until smooth adding more red wine or olive oil to taste and until you reach desired consistency.

Note: This is a great dip to use with chips, crudites, as a spread in burgers or sandwiches.

This was a wonderful combination of flavors that I turned into a light lunch on a bed of arugula greens. It'd work great as late afternoon snack or sandwiched between well toasted bread slices. Cauliflower is a hearty vegetable that takes very well to spices. I used scallions for their mild flavor and fresh herbs add a bright flavor. The combination of toasted nuts, chaat masala, fennel powder and lemon juice adds a nice savory tang to these cutlets. This aspect is only enhanced by the zesty red pepper dip. I could practically have the dip all by itself. I end up finding excuses to use it in all manner of preparations whenever I make it.

Tofu Veggie Hash

Hello Foodies,

I got through two books in two days this weekend. And I got 4 more from the library to read over the next few weeks. I go through these phases where I pick one hobby and do one project after another, crocheting, sewing, photography or reading. Its been a while since I picked up a good book and read it in one sitting. I have a hard time picking books, if I don't like the first few pages I'll never get through it not matter how good the reviews. Last year I read the books suggested by Tara Austen (Tea and Cookies) and enjoyed all of them. The library system here is just brilliant and I can find almost any book in the vast network they have. Each book on that list was very different from the other but they all were tied by the common theme of food. I love getting immersed in a book, living with the characters and anticipating how the story unravels. Even when I have to step away from the book I'm still in their world with them until I complete the book. A well written book can do that to you, drawing you into its imaginary world by creating life like scenarios. A movie not matter how good it is lasts just a few hours and is soon forgotten.

I picked the first book (The Mango Season by Amulya Malladi) at  random with just 5 mins to library closing. Once I got through it late that night I went back the next day and got a second one from the same author, Serving Crazy with Curry. I was so thrilled to have finished the book in one setting that I did not want to stop with one. Both were easy reads with well developed plots and characters. They also had little recipes strewn between the chapters which was nice. I picked up more books when I went back and is it odd that they all seem to have a food theme going on! ha. So as to not spend too much time in the kitchen I whipped up this quick brunch style dish to keep me with my books longer.

Tofu Veggie Hash

Prep time - 10 mins

Cooking time - 20 mins

Servings - 2 -3

Ingredients:

• 3 oz - Tofu block, extra firm
• 1/4 cup - Tomato, diced
• 1/3 cup - Onions, Green & Red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup - Potatoes, cubed (Red or Yukon Gold)
• 1/2 tsp - Cumin & Fennel seeds
• 1/4 tsp - Red pepper flakes
• 1/8 tsp - Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp - Olive oil
• 2 - Spring onions greens for garnish

Method:

1. Heat a Tbsp of oil in a saute pan on medium high heat. Add cumin & fennel seeds, once they begin to sizzle add red pepper flakes, turmeric powder, diced onions and peppers. 
2. Meanwhile, peel and cube potatoes. Rinse them in water to get rid of extra starch. Drain tofu and cube in roughly the same size as potatoes.
3. When the onions and peppers are tender and begin to char slightly transfer them to a plate and reserve. Add another tablespoon of oil to the saute pan and toss in cubed potatoes. Cook for 5-6 minutes without moving then too much so they can crisp up on each side. 
4. Cubed tofu, tomatoes and sauteed veggies go in next. Add salt to taste and cook for 5 mins until the flavors meld together. 
5. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with diced spring onion greens and serve with fruits and toast. 

Hash is one of my favorite brunch dishes when I eat out and making it at home is even better. Potatoes and peppers go perfectly together and adding tofu brings protein and substance to the party. It soaks up the flavor from the veggies and tastes really good in the end. The different textures from the peppers, crispy and tender potatoes and tofu work well together. The fennel seeds add just enough interest along with the cumin seeds or I its just that I'm in a fennel phase now :) What are your favorite brunch recipes ? or weekend reads ?

Fennel Salad with Chaat Masala

Dear foodies,

This year is in a rush to get done. I planned to share this recipe in early January and now we are into March already. So let me get to it right away - this is the best salad I've made, ever. It was only after I came to San Diego that I started noticing fennel bulbs in produce aisles almost all through the year. I love flavor of fennel seeds (saunf), specially in the form of addictive mukhwas. As kids, my brother and I would hoard the bowls placed on the table at the end of meal in restaurants. While my father took care of the bill, we took care of the saunf bowl! We'd fill our tiny mouths with as much as we could and then stuff the rest into paper napkins for later. Though not at the same level, my fascination for anisey flavored food is not lost. And so when I saw huge white bulbs labelled fennel at the store I had to give them a try.

Fresh fennel has a crisp, refreshing flavor unlike any other raw vegetable. Initially, it took a few tries to get used to the concept of eating my favorite mouth freshener in vegetable form. But since then it has become a regular in my shopping list. Fennel has been used in Mediterranean cuisine for a long time. It can be eaten raw, cooked into stews and soups, braised and even roasted. I've tried all these methods and enjoy eating them raw the most.

When buying look for plump bulbs with fresh, healthy fronds on top (fennel greens). If the outer layers look blemished, give it a good wash and shave away a thin layer using a vegetable peeler. Slice off close to where the greens begin and the tough bottom core. I reserve the fronds to use as a herb.  If roasting fennel, retain the core and cut the bulb into quarters so they hold their shape. Otherwise slice the bulb in half, splitting through the tough core and cut a deep wedge to remove the core. Once this is done you can slice it lengthwise or across based on the final dish. For maximum crunch I prefer cutting thin slices across the bulb instead of lengthwise.

If you have a mandolin, this would be a perfect place to use it and make thin half moons of fennel, onions and matchsticks of carrot. I don't have one and doing it by hand takes only a few minutes longer and you have one less gadget to wash :) You can also use a serrated vegetable peeler for the carrots which gives a slightly similar texture.

I think I go through more cilantro than any other herb and the same goes with chaat masala in the spices section. I periodically get rid of all the other masalas that rarely get used but that's never the case with chaat masala. A little sprinkle on salads and fruits is a sure way to make me eat them with relish. In this salad though fennel is the show stopper - chaat masala, cilantro, limes - combine to make it an instant hit. They add to make it super refreshing and the khatta meeta balance of flavors is amazing.

Fennel Salad with Chaat masala

Prep time: 20 mins
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients 

• 1 - Fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 - Carrot (medium size), sliced into thin matchsticks
• Quarter of a red onion, halved through the root end and thinly sliced into half moons
• 1/4 cup - Cilantro leaves, washed and roughly chopped
• 1 - Lime, juiced (~ 1/4 cup)
• 1/2 tsp - Chaat Masala
• 1/8 tsp - Red chilli powder (optional)
• 1/2 tsp - Salt
• 1/4 tsp - Pepper, freshly cracked

Method:

1. In a bowl, toss together sliced fennel, carrots and onions. Sprinkle salt, lime juice and combine well using your hands, rubbing the salt into the veggies. Add chaat masala, red chilli powder, pepper and mix well.
2. Next add chopped cilantro and some of the reserved fennel fronds. Combine and taste for seasonings adding more as needed.

Note: Make the salad at least 30 mins before serving to soften onions and allow time for flavors to combine. That said it could be made well in advance and refrigerated as it does not loose its crunch even after a few hours or up to a day. I tend to enjoy extra lime juice and chaat masala in this salad. I can assure you that the raw onions will not leave you with bad breath since they are softened by the salt and lime juice but feel free to exclude them.

The only confusion with fennel salad is if it should be served as a first course or last :) I've served it to friends and family and they've all loved it. If you never tried fresh fennel before this is a perfect first bite. Like any addictive chaat item, this salad has contrasting colors, textures and flavors that are in perfect harmony. I use it in tacos as a slaw, a side salad when serving heartier stews and its been a perfect addition to potluck fare. Give it a try and let me know what you think. It could be a great pick me up in the cold weather.