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condiment

Baked Cherry Tomatoes

September 15, 2018 By iladori Leave a Comment

Morsel-sized flavour bombs.

If you haven’t ever got around to baking plum tomatoes, you should.

Not only are they super easy, they’re also incredibly versatile and go with nearly everything from pizza to pasta to salad, to toppings on bread, to main ingredient in a soup, to what not.

Not that I get a chance to make many of those other things, because baked cherry tomatoes disappear from the tray before even they have a chance to cool down.

Quite simply delicious even just as they are.  Everyone loves snacking on them.

If you are able to hang on to some, they can keep in the fridge for a few days.

I like to make a large batch when in season – cherry tomatoes are also incredibly easy to grow at home – and this provides a delightful way to use up a glut of produce that will invariably result.

TIP: I use a good quality EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) – my rare, non-local indulgence, very sparingly (also because the organic kind can get really premium!) and make a little go a long way by depositing a drop (or two) onto each cut half of cherry tomato using a spoon (or pipette when working with larger quantities!).

Not necessary, really, they can just all be tossed together. But I’m OCD-ish about things like that.  ;D

The advantages of doing it this way are many.

One is that the oil lands up where it benefits the most – in the pulp.

It provides the most flavour, by cooking the juices in the oil.

And also, the most nutrients, because the lycopene present in the tomato is fat-soluble.

It minimises the amount of leathery, fried tomato skins (since they will be softer when just baked in their own juices, not oil).

As a bonus there won’t be much precious oil wasted by being smeared on the tray.

Cleanup will be easier. (A good soak in plain water should suffice before the pan/tray can be easily scrubbed clean.) 😀

Print

Baked Cherry Tomatoes

A delicious, quick and easy way to use (and store) cherry tomatoes which are great as is, or as toppings or ingredients in many other dishes and salads or soups.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Keyword glutenfree, tomatoes, vegan, veganmofo18
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  • 200 grams cherry tomatoes or plum tomatoes
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (or any oil of neutral or preferred flavour) increase quantity, if desired
  • Salt to taste flakes or freshly milled, if possible
  • Pepper to taste fresh, cracked
  • Dried herbs/minced garlic/balsamic vinegar optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Centigrade

  2. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place them on a sheet pan, cut side up.

  3. Drizzle oil over the tops.

  4. Sprinkle salt and cracked pepper (and any herbs, balsamic etc, if using)

  5. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes, or till shrivelled, but juicy. Longer, for a more dehydrated version. Shorter time for a juicier one. 

    TIP -The golden mean to look for would be where the the juices evaporate just enough to intensify the flavour of the tomatoes, the sugars start to caramelise (without burning), and there is still enough moisture that it doesn't seem too leathery.

Recipe Notes

  1. Keep a watch after the first ten minutes to ensure that they don't get charred.
  2. They can optionally be baked at a higher temperature like 180 or even 200 degrees C for a shorter time. The edges will crisp up faster and the centres will remain juicier.
  3. Or, bake at a lower temperature for a still longer time, in which case they will be more dehydrated, but no less tasty. 
  4. This will also work with larger tomatoes, chopped into quarters or eighths. Adjust baking time.

Don’t wait.

Enjoy.

Filed Under: condiment, Healthy, Plants in my Garden, Produce, Snack, Starter, Vegan, veganmofo

Vegan Mayonnaise – with Aquafaba (Version 1)

April 30, 2016 By iladori Leave a Comment

   Quick and easy, home-made, vegan mayo.

Yum.
Rich.
Creamy.
Perfect.
And no egg!

No nasties, either.  (Remember that ingredient list of a commercially made mayo jar?!)

It is so simple and easy to make, and far more delicious than the store-bought version, with the possibility of tweaking the taste endlessly as desired.

What’s not to like?

This vegan version is made using aquafaba, or chickpea water, (see here for more) which is the egg replacer, along with vinegar and oil.

(Adapted only very slightly from Peanut Butter and Vegan.)


Ingredients:

Aquafaba – 3 Tablespoons
White wine vinegar – 1 Tablespoon (Can be apple cider vinegar)
Mustard powder – 1/2 teaspoon
Salt – 1/2 teasoon
Sunflower oil – 3/4 to 1 cup (Or any neutral-tasting oil, like Safflower)

Method:

1. Using an immersion blender (or a mixie jar – if the quantity is enough get whizzed) blitz the first four ingredients – ie, the aquafaba, the vinegar, the mustard and salt) briefly…….

…….. till well mixed.

2. Slowly drizzle the oil into the mixture, little by little, while keeping the blender running (Or add into the blender jar in small installments, and blitz).

The mixture will begin to thicken.

3. Once thick enough to hold, stop adding oil.




That’s it. It’s done!

Makes a great gift, too. (Along with storage and shelf-life caveats, of course.)

Notes:

  • Refrigerate to store. I have no idea what is the shelf life of this mayo, but I do know that cooked chickpeas are quite perishable,
    Though it’s not advisable to store for too long, the flavours really do meld well with time.
    This is especially true when mixed into a cold salad.
    So it’s a balance between using discretion about the perishability, and allowing the flavours to marinate. 😀
    (I kept mine in the fridge for around three days – the mayo seemed fine. It also was fine in one salad that had just this dressing, but didn’t keep too well in another salad where i mixed it in half and half with hung (greek) yoghurt – though that had tasted great when freshly made.)
  • The consistency of this one might be a tad thinner than the commercial versions.  It will thicken slightly on refrigeration.
  • And since there are no chemical preservatives either (that’s the whole point after all!), I wouldn’t really keep more than two days even refrigerated.
    So this quantity (around 3/4 to 1 cup, depending on how much oil got used) is a good amount to make.
  • The main (predominant) flavours really come from the vinegar and the mustard. (I used premium, white wine vinegar and yellow mustard, freshly powdered).

    I’ve also tried versions with other spices and condiments to vary the flavours, it’s immensely “tweak-able” – and they all work really well. (Coming up, sometime soon!).

  • Though the oil is not an important contributor to the flavour (and deliberately so), it IS the main ingredient by volume in this condiment, constituting the bulk of it. Good to remember if planning to use by cupfuls! 😉

(Try it in this delicious Russian Salad)

Filed Under: aquafaba, chickpea water, condiment, CRDS, Dips, Gluten Free, How to, No Nasties, Pictorial glossary, Spices, SPMC, Spreads, Techniques, Vegan

Rhizome Relish 2: Fresh Turmeric with Fresh Green Peppercorns; Ginger with Green Chillies.

December 15, 2013 By iladori Leave a Comment

 Golden Yellow goodness in all its glory.

Like most any other Indian I know, I’ve grown up accustomed to having a lot of turmeric in my diet. It’s used in nearly every dish!

Usually though, the form in which I see it everyday is the dried and powdered version.

Fresh turmeric, on the other hand, (see here for more on this rhizome),  is not as common outside the actual growing areas, but delicious alternative when available – as it can easily be, if grown at home!

Turmeric leaves are also used as a wrap in cooking, wherein they impart a distinct flavour to the dish being cooked, and are the bonus for growing your own.

Haldi, or turmeric, has a very distinct, rather pungent taste, that is so unique in fact, that there is a dedicated word to describe it in Hindi, which is “haraandh” or “hariyaand” (हड़ान्द or हड़ियान्द).

I don’t know if an English equivalent exists.

Toss in too much of the lovely yellow powder in your daily dal or curry, and folks will start giving it a miss, because of the “haraandh” being too strong!

Although individual tolerance thresholds might vary, and some cuisines use more than others, by and large, there is a pretty well-defined balance of taste and colour that dictates how much is to be used.

This relish though, is as concentrated as it can get. So be warned, if you have a sensitive palate, – its flavour is very intense!

When I harvested my first batch of potted turmeric, I wanted to make a million things with the delightful yellow rhizomes. Given the limited stock, some of those I was able to, but some had to wait.

Almost the very first thing that I thought of, and subsequently made, was this relish which is just about as simple as the previous one using aam-adrak (mango ginger).

That was nearly two years ago.

Though I haven’t grown any more turmeric in the interim, I’ve been buying it whenever it’s available.

If you are in Bangalore, just check with your local vegetable vendor, for fresh turmeric and fresh mango-ginger, although it may not be organic, but it may just be available! Save some for growing!

Recently I came across some organic fresh turmeric and stocked up again. It stores pretty well in a plastic bag – just like ginger, at room temperature, where it will slowly dry up; or in the fridge in a partly air-tight box to make it last longer.

This time, I also had on hand a few stalks of fresh green organic peppercorns, that I had got to make another pickle, and had been storing in a jar of water in the fridge to prolong its life.

These are very perishable, and usually preserved in brine or vinegar. But since the ones I had were freshly picked from the vine, I tried to delay the inevitable blackening process like this till I managed to make the pickle.

See how the part that’s sticking out of the water has turned black!

(I should have used a bigger jar, of course, and saved those few peppercorns too!)
Sadly, this is not how the peppercorns easily turn into black pepper, that is a whole different process altogether involving fermenting, drying and lots more work.

Coming back to where I was, two thoughts instantly came to mind!

Or, make that three –

1.   Green pepper is often preserved in brine or with salt and lemon juice in a similar sort of relish as the turmeric that I was going to prepare.

2.   A recently picked up factoid that black pepper (Piper nigrum) massively enhances the bioavailability of turmeric (something like 2000 times, according to some reports!)

3.   The colours of golden yellow turmeric, ‘peppered’ with those fresh green pearls would look very nice indeed.

After that, this relish pretty much invented itself.

Ingredients:

Fresh turmeric – 1 or 2 pieces (I used two)
Fresh green peppercorns (optional) – few (I used half a stalk)
Fresh lemon juice – lots, – pieces need to be submerged (I used a ripe and juicy one)
Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Scrape the skin off the turmeric, and

2. chop into slivers (or slices, or grate)

Note:
–   Be prepared for yellow stains that won’t wash away easily from hands. Or wear gloves.
–  If clothes or utensils (especially plastic, though why should you be using those) get stained try leaving them out in the sun for a while, as the colour is fugitive to sunlight.  
   (Personally, I don’t mind the yellow hand stains, indeed there are other times too, when hands get yellow from using turmeric and stay like that for a couple of days. Turmeric has very strong associations with health and rituals in India, besides in the kitchen, and I love it’s fragrance and earthy yellow colour.)

2.  Next, de-seed the lemon and extract the juice (or, use a strainer to catch the seeds.)


    Tip: – If you are removing the seeds with a knife, holding it up against the light will reveal any further “hidden” seeds that need to be ferreted out. Like so.

3. Break off the green peppers from the stalk

4. Mix everything together. That’s it, it’s done!

Are you wondering about that other combination on the right pictured above?

That’s a similar relish made using scraped, sliced fresh ginger (the regular root ginger) with sliced, spicy, green chillies in lemon juice and salt.

A more common relish.

As a kid, I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to torture their taste buds with something like that! But now it’s one of my favorites. Adulthood is sneaky, that way.

Did I say that the flavour of turmeric-pepper was intense?
Well, this one – ginger-green chillies takes “intense” to a whole new level.

Best enjoyed with a hearty meal in minuscule portions (or as much as you can handle!)

Notes: –

The liquid from both versions, make for a great tart and flavourful addition to curries or gravies or salad dressings.

Do a taste check for salt. Ensure there’s plenty of lemon juice to cover all the pieces; add more if required.

Store either version, or both, (seperately, or mixed) in a glass container in the fridge.

This ought to keep for several days, – weeks, even.

Mine usually gets consumed before the week is over since I make small batches.

But from past, I remember that (turmeric, at least) keeps well for quite long. The green chillies, just a few days.

This relish is commonly used in Gujarati cuisine where it is known as Amba Haldar.

Considering that turmeric, lemon juice and salt are all used as preservatives in most pickles, it figures!

Filed Under: Chutney, Completely Organic, condiment, fresh peppercorns, Fresh turmeric, Ginger, Good food for Diabetes, green chillies, Oota from Thota, Pickles, Pictorial glossary, Preserves, Raw Food, Relish, RPP, spice

How to make Bhuna Jeera Powder (Roasted Cumin Seeds Powder)

July 13, 2013 By iladori 2 Comments

Aromatic. Easy to make. Indispensible.
Powdered roasted cumin

 Roasted cumin seed powder is one of those things a kitchen should never be without.

Roasted Cumin

The cumin powder that is commercially available is usually of un-roasted cumin.

Cumin Seeds

That’s easily made too at home – so much fresher and more fragrant – by simply grinding the cumin seeds into a powder (coarse or rough as desired) in the mixie jar.

For the roasted version, it’s best to make it in small batches since the aroma dissipates over time.

That could mean even as little as half a teaspoon or as much as say 2 tablespoons or more, which can keep in an airtight jar for a week or longer. I’ve even stored it for a month or more, at times!

Place the seeds in a pan, skillet, wok or tempering ladle, and roast over a low-medium flame.

Don’t forget to keep constantly stirring/tossing, till the seeds are nicely browned and start to crackle and splutter.

Take it off the heat, cool, and powder using any of the methods below.

Inhale deeply when you do, because the fragrant aroma of freshly ground bhuna jeera is unbelievable.

Powdering Method 1: Using a rolling pin.

Place the roasted jeera on a firm, flat surface, my preferred one is the chakla (the flat round stone or wood platform which is used to make rotis).

Use the belan (rolling pin) to easily crush the seeds by rolling it over while pressing down.

The powder will usually be a little coarse which lends a distinct and unique flavour.

Powdering Method 2: Using a pestle and mortar (imam dasta).
Simply pound it.

Again, the powder will be a little coarse. This is a good thing, the texture makes the flavour pop!

Powdering Method 3: In a mixie jar.

Run it in the smallest (spice/chutney) jar.

A quick whizz is all it needs.

The powder will be finer than by the other methods. Best for use in drinks like Aam Panna and Jaljeera!

Let it cool.

Store in an airtight jar. A sprinkle-cap top would make it very handy to use!

Filed Under: bhuna jeera, condiment, Cooking Basics, Cumin, How to, jeera, Pictorial glossary, powder, Powders, roasted cumin seeds, Spices, SPMC, Toppings

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I'm ila, the cook, chronicler, recipe developer, photographer, clear-er-up and wiper-of-spills when it is over and done with.  I love doing all of those except the last two which is what I end up doing most of.
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