The Art of Seasoning

'Ancient Cumin' Almond quinoa pilaf

When you visit an Indian grocery store you may notice that there  are two types of cumin; Regular cumin and black cumin. Unless the recipe specifically calls for black cumin, do not substitute black cumin for regular cumin. Black cumin has a strong aroma and needs getting used to. If you have never tasted black cumin before, then go very easy when you are cooking with it  for the first time. 

The deep intense flavor of roasted cumin compliments Almonds and cranberries. Here I have added this aromatic mix to Quinoa, but feel free to add it to rice if you prefer. Quinoa is great substitute for rice and is loaded with nutrients It is called as a mother grain of grains as it has all the 8 amino acids. Quinoa is available in health stores

1 cup Quinoa
2 cups water boiling
½ cup cranberries
¼ cup chopped almonds
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon cilantro leaves
¼ cup almonds, roasted and chopped
¼ cup cranberries
½ teaspoon salt

Bring water to a boil and keep aside
Rinse quinoa in water and drain. 
In a thick bottom pan add water and quinoa and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Lower the heat and cover the pan for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, but keep the cover on and let the steam finish the process of cooking. Keep aside

Heat a small pan, add oil and add cumin seeds.

Wait for it to sizzle.
Add cilantro and fry for 5-7 minutes till it is crisp,
throw in chopped almonds and cranberries
Roast it for 1-2 minutes and remove from heat.
Add salt and mix it with cooked quinoa.

Hema’s Hints:
You may substitute quinoa with cooked rice or couscous

'Ancient Cumin' Dietician's Delight salad

Cumin is one of ancient spices used by mankind and has been around for 5000 years. It is a native of the Nile Valley.
Cuimin seeds have a very distinct aroma and flavor and featured in nearly every cuisine around the world. There is a folklore stressing the importance of cumin from middle ages. ‘It was believed that a happy life awaited the bride and groom who carried the cumin seed throughout the wedding ceremony’

Two years ago, My childhood friend, Jayashri Chari  visited me from India. Once for lunch we had the rice and bean salad at a local Mexican restaurant. We enjoyed the salad but felt that, the plain white rice, could be replaced by a tomato flavored rice, which we enjoyed in India. Another change I decided to make was to use brown rice instead of white rice
So here is refreshing take on the Mexican rice and bean salad

Dietician’s delight Salad                                                            Serves 8
This salad has all the ingredients that a dietician ordered you to eatThis recipe may seem lengthy, while the rice and beans are being cooked, the vegetables can be chopped simultaneously. The Leftover salad can be packed for lunch the next day

Tomato flavored Rice:
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 inch ginger, minced
¼ cup tomato paste
1 cup brown rice
1 teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups water

Savory beans
1 can black beans (15 oz)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 inch ginger

Vegetables for salad
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 cucumber, diced
1 bunch green onions, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
2-3 green chilies (optional)
¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Salad dressing
3 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup oil
2 Tablespoon limejuice
1 teaspoon salt (or as per taste)

Garnish
¼ cup feta cheese
5-6 tortilla chips

Add two and half cups of water in a pot and bring it to a boil

Wash brown rice in water and drain.
Heat a thick bottom pan and add oil. Add cumin seeds and wait for it to sizzle. Throw in ginger paste and stir for a minute. Add tomato paste and stir for 1-2 minutes. Mix in the brown rice and 1 teaspoon salt, stir for 4-5 minutes.  Add the hot water and cook on high heat for 5 minutes, without a lid. Lower heat and cover with a tight fitting lid, and cook for 30 minutes. Keep aside

Savory beans
Drain beans from can and wash it thrice under running to remove as much sodium as possible. In a pot of boiling water add beans, ginger and cumin. Boil vigorously for 5 minutes and drain . Keep aside

Salad dressing
Heat a small frypan and add cumin and black pepper. Roast it till the cumin changes to a darker brown shade and roasted aroma is released. Cool and grind it coarsely in  mortar and pestle or coffee grinder, which is used only for spices. In a small bowl combine lime juice, oil and spice blend. Whisk it well

In a giant salad bowl add rice, chopped vegetables, beans and salad dressing. Mix it well. Finally add the garnish of feta cheese and tortilla chips. Mix gently and serve immediately

Hema’s Hints:
Mix the vegetable, rice and bean mix ahead of time.
Add salad dressing just before you eat to the required amount of salad
You may substitute white rice for brown rice
And kidney beans for black beans
For a creamy version of salad dressing, add ¼ cup of sour cream

 

Spicy Beginnings 'Spice it Up! ~Vegetarian cooking with attitude'

I was surfing the net the other day and I came across a very interesting article.
‘The real weapon of mass destruction is the excess salt, sugar and fat in our diet.’ http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/janet-street-porter/editoratlarge-sugar-salt-and-fat--the-real-weapons-of-mass-destruction-577802.html
I chuckled as I read it and could not ignore the strong message  that came through.
These three ingredients  make any food tasty but sadly, fosters a multitude of health problems too.

A very simple way to make any food tasty is to add either extra oil/butter, extra sugar, extra salt or the right blend of spices. Luckily spices add loads of flavor, benefit your health and have zero calories and zero fat. Eureka... so the only solution for making food healthy and tasty, is to add  the right blend of spices and herbs. A theme for a new show was born.

After an overwhelming response for 'Indian Vegetarian Gourmet' I decided to produce a new cooking show ‘Spice It Up’ to share my knowledge of spices and spice techniques.

 I am a rebel in the kitchen I love to mix spices with ingredients from different cuisine.  Like adding garlic infused oil to the quiche, or mixing in green chilies and cilantro to  scrambled eggs or  adding a dollop of chili sauce with Italian pasta

Spices have been used in every cuisine around the world, but the way spices are used in Indian cuisine is a highly skilled art. The art of spicing is not which spice you use, but how you use it.  The same spice can give a variety of flavors, depending on how it is used.

Each episode on 'Spice it up' will feature one spice as it’s star.
I will share spicy tips and terchniques, eclectic tasting recipes that can be made with minimum fuss but have  maximum flavor.

Take what you like from my recipes and create your own variations.
There is fun in breaking rules in the kitchen

 Let my recipes be the starting point of your spicy adventures
Happy Cooking!