Gunpowder

This is a South Indian dry chutney. Enjoy with a dollop of ghee. Eat with idli, masala dosa, rice, or really anything.

Ingredients:

1/2 c white sesame seeds, dry roasted
1/2 c urad dal, dry roasted
1/2 c chana dal, dry roasted
1/4 c dry coconut powder, dry roasted
(optional) handful Kashmiri chilies, dry roasted
salt (to taste)
pinch hing
handful curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red pepper powder (optional – use instead of chilies for a milder gunpowder)

Directions:

1. Dry roast items above separately.
2. Combine.
3. Blend.
4. Enjoy!

Salsa Roja

This is a boiled salsa. It is super easy and so yum. I bottled mine after boiling to enjoy at a later date.

Ingredients
6 pounds roma (plum) tomatoes
1/4 pound roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 red onion, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 pound jalapeno peppers, chopped [optional]
1/3 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions
Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Briefly place 6 pounds tomatoes into water to loosen skins and set color. Drain, peel and crush.
Mix chopped tomatoes, garlic powder, lemon juice, salt, cayenne pepper and cumin into the saucepan with crushed tomatoes. Whip to desired thickness. Bring to a boil. Mix in red onion, white onion, yellow onion, jalapeno peppers and cilantro. Continue boiling until vegetables are soft and mixture has reached desired consistency. Remove from heat. Refrigerate until serving.

Shredded Apple Jam

Apple Chhundo / Shredded Apple Jam

This recipe makes enough for four people to enjoy with dinner. About a quarter cup? A lot depends on the type and size of apples you use. This lasts in the fridge for months (the same way a normal jam or jelly you buy would last), or at room temperature for around a week (in Chicago!!! That would be around 70 degrees F!).

If you have ever had mango (keri) chhundo, you will love this recipe. The proper type of mango (kachi keri) to make a pickle (athana/achar) is not frequently available in the US. However, apples are plentiful all year round.

This recipe taste great with naan, rice, bread (toasted), roti, paratha, poori, veggies, or really anything. I personally enjoy eating spoonfuls by itself, the way a normal person would eat Nutella. YMMV.

Note: Sugar and salt amounts depend on the type of apple you use and how sweet or tart it is. A Granny Smith apple would require more sugar than a Macintosh, for example. Start at the bottom of the scale and work your way up, tasting the jam along the way. (You can add more sugar and salt than I’ve suggested, as I said, it depends on your taste :)) (If you want to be super fancy, you can add some ghol/jaggery in addition to the sugar — just a few tsp will make a huge difference in taste. If you don’t have ghol, you can use brown sugar. Whatever you like. If you are partial to molasses cookies, you will like the recipe with brown sugar or ghol. If you are partial to sugar cookies, you will like it with plain sugar. Experiment to find what you like best).

Note: This recipe is pretty mild, but full of spices. It is not hot the way most people think of Indian food as being. My family and I are from Chicago, and do not eat spicy food. If you want to increase the heat quotient, increase the amount of paprika, or add a red chili pepper (dried) to the vaghar. Most Indian people in India add chili peppers to vaghar, that is why the food is so darn spicy. My family and I do not do this. It is horrible, like cooking with chili oil. However, if that is your thing, go for it! If you absolutely (for health reasons or whatever) cannot tolerate hot food, omit the paprika. If you cannot tolerate spicy food, omit the cinnamon, black pepper, clove, and paprika. Don’t worry, it will still taste good without it 😉

Ingredients:

1 apple, shredded (use a hard apple, like Macintosh, Granny Smith, Red Delicious)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds (rye)
1/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)
1/2 tsp turmeric (haldar)
1/8 tsp asafoetida (hing)
3 whole black pepper
1 in cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt (depending on taste)
2-3 tbsp sugar (depending on taste)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 bay leaves

Directions:

1. Vaghar – put oil on heated pot until oil is hot. Add mustard seeds (they will splatter). Add fenugreek seeds. Add cumin. Add bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, black pepper. Add turmeric and asafoetida. Add paprika.
2. Add shredded apple. Let cook until all moisture is gone.
3. Add paprika, salt and sugar.
4. Let cook until all moisture is gone. Sugar will lose water and then thicken into jam consistency.
5. It takes a few minutes after you add the sugar until the sugar comes together in a thick syrup.
6. Remove from stove.
7. Enjoy!

NOTE: I usually enjoy with with poori and a nice hot cup of Indian tea.

NOTE: Most people can’t taste the difference between this apple chhundo and a normal gujarati keri chhundo. 😉

Momofuku Ginger Scallion Sauce

Ginger Scallion Sauce

from Momofuku cookbook by David Chang

makes about 3 cups

Ingredients:
2½ cups thinly sliced scallions (green and whites, from 1-2 large bunches)
½ cup finely minced fresh ginger
¼ cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
1½ teaspoons usukuchi (light soy sauce)
¾ teaspoon sherry vinegar (we didn’t have this so we used mirin – it was fine)
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

Directions:
Mix together the scallions, ginger, oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and salt in a bowl. Taste and check for salt, adding more if needed.

Thousand Island Dressing

INGREDIENTS:

1 egg yolk
1 c corn or soybean oil
1/2 c Vlasic sweet relish
2 tbsp Cholula hot sauce
2 tbsp RealLemon lemon juice
2 tbsp Ploughman’s mustard
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp ketchup (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In glass bowl, whisk one yolk by hand until frothy.

2. Add 2 tbsp oil. Whisk. (Repeat this step until 1/2 c oil is incorporated).
[When you finish step 2, you have mayonnaise]

3. Add relish, hot sauce, lemon juice, sugar and mustard.

4. Add 2 tbsp oil. Whisk. (Repeat until the other 1/2 c is incorporated).

ENJOY!

Reference: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/mayonnaise-recipe.html

Emeril’s Red Sauce

To use on pizza, as a dipping sauce for garlic bread, with pasta, on enchiladas. Basically for everything.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup chopped yellow onions (1 medium yellow onion)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (2 cloves garlic)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
4 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Directions

In a medium, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, salt, basil, oregano and black pepper, and cook, stirring, until soft, 5 minutes.

Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and squeeze to break into small pieces. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, and sugar to the pot and stir well. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally with a heavy wooden spoon.

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, 2007

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/best-basic-red-sauce-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Raspberry Dijon Mustard

Ingredients:

1/4 c Strong dijon mustard (grey poupon, coleman’s)

1/4 c Good raspberry jam

Directions:

1. Mix mustard and jam.

Use as a dipping sauce for pretzels, breads, with cheese. Great on sandwiches.

What you make tastes like this: http://www.amazon.com/Robert-Rothschild-Farm-Raspberry-Mustard/dp/B000M4EE9C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434292961&sr=8-1&keywords=raspberry+mustard