Zen in a Bowl: Coconut Miso Soup

Miso and coconut are two of my most favorite ingredients. One I was introduced to only in recent years, and the other is something I grew up eating almost every day in my Konkani home where coconut was part of just about any recipe.

Both have transcendental health qualities - miso, a fermented bean paste, is believed to prevent some kinds of cancer and is rich in wonderful enzymes that aid digestion. Coconut, while high in saturated fat, is still one of the healthiest foods you can eat, not to mention one of the tastiest. To a vegan, coconut milk- which is loaded with fiber, vitamins and minerals- is particularly valuable because it works wonderfully as a cream substitute in most recipes. Plus, it tastes way better than calorie-loaded cow fat.

For those new to cooking with miso, there are a variety of miso pastes available in Asian stores and supermarkets, but a beginner might want to go with a mild-tasting one when you first try this soup. Miso is very salty, so remember that when you plan to add it to a recipe, you will want to hold back on the salt. Also, in a cooked dish, add miso at the very end, because boiling it can kill the healthful enzymes.

I am sending this recipe as my entry to AFAM-Coconut, hosted this month by Suganya.
As anyone who has been to my blog before would know, I cook a lot with coconut, but this one, Suganya, is very special to me. It gets ready in no time and always leaves me feeling like I've done something good for myself.

Coconut Miso Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups water (even better, use light, vegetable stock if you have some on hand. Make sure it has no salt, though.)

1 14-oz can light coconut milk

4 tbsp barley miso

8 large button mushrooms, sliced very thin

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup of seaweed, cut in pieces (optional- I use any seaweed I have on hand, but my hubby is not a big fan of seaweed so I do leave it out often enough. It doesn't really hurt the dish)

1 cup brown rice, cooked

1 tbsp ginger

1 tsp canola oil

7-8 fresh basil leaves

Heat canola oil in a soup pot. Add the sliced mushrooms and saute until they begin to caramelize just slightly.

Add the ginger and stir in

Add the water and then the seaweed, if using. Let it come to a boil. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes.

Add the cooked brown rice and stir in.

Meanwhile, mix the miso paste in the coconut milk, adding some of the warm soup stock if necessary, until no lumps remain.

Take the soup off the heat, and then add the miso-coconut mixture to it.

Tear in some fresh basil leaves and serve hot.

Gajar-Mooli Paratha

One of my constant pursuits in the kitchen is to find as many ways as possible to add vegetables to our diet without allowing things to get too in-your-face. After all, even die-hard vegetable-lovers like Desi and I could get a little fed up on too many greens (not that it's happened yet!).

I try to get around this by putting veggies into almost anything I make- if it's rice, I try and throw in some peas or carrots or cauliflower, or a combination. With lentils you can get a lot more adventurous, because these little beauties will go with anything from leafies to cabbage, beans, zucchini or even mushrooms. But the most fun I have is stuffing rotis with veggies of all sorts to make richly satisfying parathas.

I have blogged before about my Sweet-Aloo Paratha, Mooli Paratha and Tofu Paratha. But today's recipe is for a variation: Gajar-Mooli Paratha, or Carrot- and Radish-Stuffed Flatbreads. Why? Because these were the two veggies I had lying around in my fridge during the weekday, begging to be used before they drooped. And because the end result was quite spectacular.

I usually play around a lot with the seasonings for the stuffing, simply because it is almost impossible to go wrong here. Chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala- they all work wonderfully. I often use aamchur powder, or mango powder, or even chaat masala, which gives the veggies a spicy-sour punch.

To this paratha I also added some kasoori methi, again another favorite ingredient that I often throw into stuffings because it's always in my pantry and because it's mild bitterness works perfectly with the sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavors.

Gajar-Mooli Paratha:

Ingredients:

2 cups durum wheat flour (can use whole-wheat instead). Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp canola oil and knead with just enough water to form a stiff but pliable dough.

1 cup carrots, grated fine

1 cup radish (I used the little ones, but daikon would work perfectly too), also grated fine

Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp salt on the carrots and radish, put into a colander, and leave for around an hour for the water to express from the vegetables. This step is very important, otherwise your parathas will become a gooey mess when you try to roll them out.

Squeeze out all the water you possible can from the vegetables before adding the other ingredients.

Now add:

1 tsp chaat masala (available in Indian groceries)

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chili powder

2 tbsp kasoori methi, crumbled (also available in Indian stores)

Salt to taste

Mix well and set aside.

Divide the dough into balls, each about 1 inch in diameter.

On a floured surface, roll out each ball into a circle around 3 inches in diameter. Place 2 tbsp of stuffing in the center. Roll out another circle of the same size, moisten the edges with water, and place over the circle with the stuffing. Press down on the edges to seal.

Flour the surface and roll out the paratha, turning often and adding more flour if necessary, to prevent sticking. When it's around 7 inches in diameter, you can transfer it to a hot cast-iron griddle on medium heat.

Roast each side for about 2-3 minutes, coating with a few scant drops of oil, until brown spots appear evenly on the surface of the paratha.

Serve hot with chutney or pickle or any spicy curry of your choice.

Banana-Nut Muffins

This recipe is perhaps going to forever brand me as an incorrigible slave to banana breads-- after all, I've blogged before about my banana nut bread and banana corn bread.

But hear me out: banana breads are, after all, the easiest quick bread to throw together. There always is an overripe banana or two sitting in our kitchen by the end of the week, and my hubby Desi is so in love with this versatile fruit, he almost went into a panic the other day when he read this article in the New York Times.

This banana nut muffin is in some ways similar to my nut bread, but this time its goodness comes in cuter, smaller versions. The batter is also much easier to put together and takes just a few minutes.

So here's the wholesome, moist and luscious goodness of these dairy-free, egg-free banana-nut muffins. Hope you enjoy them!

Luscious Banana Nut Muffins

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

6 tbsp canola oil

3/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp molasses (optional)

2 tbsp powdered flax seeds mixed well with 6 tbsp water

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup pecans (can use walnuts), lightly toasted, then chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and oil a standard-size muffin tin (mine bakes 12 muffins at a time).

Mix the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and chopped nuts.

In a larger bowl, mix the oil, sugar, molasses, flax seed-water mixture, bananas and vanilla extract.

Mix in the flour mixture until all the wet ingredients are just moist. Do not overmix. The batter should be lumpy, like pancake batter, rather than smooth.

With a standard-sized ice cream scoop, or with a tablespoon, divide the batter equally among the 12 muffin tins.

Bake for about 18 minutes in a 375-degree oven or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out almost dry, with a few crumbs sticking to it.

Let cool for a couple of minutes before unmolding. They taste great warm or at room temperature.

Spinach Amti with Peanuts

I try all the time to incorporate leafies into our diet as effortlessly as possible. One of my preferred ways to eat spinach- one of my absolutely favorite veggies- is to add it to a spicy, tangy lentil curry.
The slight bitterness of the spinach is nicely balanced out by sourness of the tamarind, the spiciness of the chilies and the sweet nuttiness of the peanuts. A nice balance of flavors, by Ayurvedic standards.

This is one of those quick, weeknight dishes written on a busy weeknight, so I will keep the introduction brief. Hope you guys enjoy this nutritious, delicious dish.

Ingredients:

1 large bunch spinach, washed thoroughly and chopped into thin strips.

3/4 cup pink lentils, or masoor dal, cooked until tender (I pressure cook it or, when I'm short on time, cover it with water and throw it into a microwave oven. It takes 10-15 minutes to cook, depending on your microwave.)

1 small lemon-size ball of tamarind, soaked in water for about 30 minutes. Express the juices into the water by crushing with your fingers and throw away the remaining solids.

3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced thin.

1 medium onion, sliced

2 green chilies, like serrano, thinly sliced

1/2 cup peanuts, soaked in water for about 30 minutes

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp coriander seeds, powdered

1 tsp mustard

1 tbsp canola oil

1/4 cup light coconut milk

Salt to taste

Heat the oil and add mustard. When it sputters, add the onions and fry on a medium frame until translucent.

Add the chilies and garlic and stir for a minute.

Add the coriander and turmeric powders. Stir again until spices are coated with oil.

Add the tamarind extract and let it boil about 2-3 minutes.

Add the spinach and stir in until it wilts. Then add the lentils and drained peanuts.

Stir in some salt.

Bring the lentils to a boil.

Turn the heat to low and let the lentils simmer about 10 minutes for all the flavors to come together.

Stir in coconut milk and immediately turn off the heat. Check the salt and add more if needed.

Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Sheera: A Vegan Twist on an Indian Classic

One of my favorite childhood memories is of the days when we would have a pooja at home. The long rituals were quite tedious, especially for a kid, but the fun part was getting together with all my cousins and the amazing vegetarian food one we got to eat at the end of it all.


The prasad, or offering to the deity, would usually be a sweet and simple but incredibly delicious dish called Sheera. Friends, family and neighbors would visit to pay their respects to the deity, and each visitor would get a dollop of the sheera in a cute little paper cup.

Now while sheera, made with rava (farina or cream of wheat), is a common breakfast food and snack in Indian homes, the sheera made for poojas is just a little more special.

For one, it incorporates bananas which elevates it from just delicious to simply sublime.

Sheera also uses tons of ghee and milk which, as is obvious by now, is not part of my pantry.

To make Sheera which was as authentic-tasting as it was tasty, I used almond milk. Almond milk is a great substitute for dairy in sweets and it is quite easily available at health food stores. Believe me, you will never be able to tell the difference. Besides, in a dish that uses a generous amount of sugar, it is also a healthier alternative.

My vegan version of Sheera tasted exactly like the original, and no animals were hurt in its making. Now that's something even a god has to love.

Prasadacha Sheera

Ingredients:

1 cup rava or cream of wheat

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cardamom powder

2 cups almond milk (I used the regular version but feel free to go with low-fat)

A few strands of saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp almond milk

1 large, ripe banana, cut into a very small dice

1/4- 1/2 cup cashew pieces

3-4 tbsp golden raisins

1 tsp oil

In a small skillet, heat the oil and toast the cashew pieces and raisins until the cashew turns golden and the raisins plump up. Set aside.

In a skillet, over medium heat, toast the rava until it turns just a couple of shades darker and tastes nutty

Remove to a dish and set aside.

In the same skillet, combine the almond milk, sugar, saffron and cardamom powder and bring to a gentle boil. Stir gently a couple of times to help the sugar dissolve.

Add the bananas

Add the reserved rava, stirring constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. It will take just a minute or two before the rava absorbs most of the milk and becomes quite thick.

Before taking the sheera off the heat, add the cashews and raisins and stir in.

Serve hot or at room temperature. It's delicious either way.

***

I want to apologize here for my rather erratic schedule, but these weeks have been tremendously busy both at home and work. I also want to thank two bloggers who gave me these really amazing awards recently: the lovely and talented Uma for the Rockin' Girl Blogger award, and the incredibly gifted Priya who gave me the Yummy Blog award. I will need some time to figure out who to pass these on to, but meanwhile thanks so very much, ladies-- coming from you, these gifts are really special!

The Strays of India

I'm back from a lovely trip to India where I had a chance to visit with my family after more than two long years, get together with some good old friends to catch up on the good old times, and eat some really great food, a lot of it homecooked.

Desi and I covered a lot of ground, touching India's east, west, north and south in 17 short days. But as tiring as it was, it was also exhilarating. I had tons of work waiting for me when I got back, which is why I have been slow to return to blogging, but I hope to catch up. For starters, I have a non-food visual post for you that's very, very close to my heart: I'm calling it the Strays of India. The pictures, as always, were taken by Desi.


As many of you who have lived in India or visited it would know, India is home not only to the world's second-largest human population, but also- unfortunately- to a very large number of neglected, abandoned and homeless animals of every kind. Cows, dogs, cats, sheep, goats...you name it, you'll find them scavenging out of trash piles or hanging around food vendors in the usually vain hope of finding their next meal.
In a country long known for its vegetarian traditions, the sight of neglected and abused animals is always a shocking paradox. The dogs, particularly, are everywhere. I must say here that I do strongly believe that, no matter how tough their lives, it is better to let them live instead of euthanizing them as a public health threat. Most strays usually pretty much keep to themselves and don't bother you unless you bother them- if you do, I'd say they're fully justified in defending themselves. Feel free to argue with me, but in all the years I lived in India, I never once met anyone who contracted rabies from a stray dog.
The stray animals themselves, however, face many, many threats from the burgeoning human population and development. The growing numbers of cars on roads that honk incessantly at pedestrians make it difficult for people to walk, and you can imagine how difficult it is for the poor animals who are often hit and maimed or left to die by vehicles.
Public behavior toward strays is also often cruel, with children and even adults throwing stones at dogs and even cats for no apparent reason other than to send them as far away from themselves as possible. Some stray dogs do end up getting "adopted" by communities who feed them, but they are few in number.
What is also heartbreaking is the pernicious newfound love of the middle and upper classes for purebred pets bought from breeders and often imported into the country. In cities like Bombay and Calcutta I often saw people walking Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds. There appears to be no interest among these "dog lovers" in giving homes to the lovely strays although some animal rights activists in the country have spoken out for this. I know from personal experience that strays make excellent pets: Desi and I adopted a number of stray puppies when we lived in Bombay and and they grew up into beautiful and smart dogs.
I also wanted to share some other pictures of experiences that were shocking or heartbreaking. At the Kalighat temple, one of Calcutta's most historic landmarks and the place which gave the city its name, I saw freshly beheaded lambs being dragged out of the temple, their legs still trembling. Killing animals is in itself a lowly act, but sacrificing animals in the name of religion has got to be the most shameful act imaginable.


In the desert landscape of beautiful Leh, Ladakh, I saw abandoned and starving cows scavenging off trash, munching on paper. One of the cows ate a cigarette butt as I watched. But when I offered it a banana it didn't look quite sure what to do with it.


One of my favorite people, Mahatma Gandhi, once said that a nation's progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals. In Gandhi's land, is anyone listening anymore?