Tofu and Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

 Crunchy lettuce filled with crumbled tofu and mushroom, topped with a spicy and sweet peanut sauce is a great source of protein.

Ingredients:

For Filling:

1 lb. extra firm tofu, patted dry and crumbled

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms ( I used baby Bella), cleaned and diced

2-3 Tablespoons neutral oil

1 cup diced onion, (1 small)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon minced ginger

1/2 cup peeled and diced carrot (1 small)

1/2 cup diced bell pepper

Seasoning:

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon dark mushroom soy sauce, optional

1- 2 Tablespoon sugar, adjust to taste

1/2 teaspoon chilli sauce, optional

black pepper, to taste

Peanut Sauce:

2 Tablespoons peanut butter

3-4 Tablespoons warm water, adjust to desired consistency

1 Tablespoon chili sauce, adjust to taste

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

juice from 1/2 lime

Drizzle of sesame oil

2 Tablespoons maple syrup or honey

1 head ice lettuce

Method:

1.Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil. Once hot, add crumbled tofu. Cook tofu until golden brown, moving the skillet every minute. Remove tofu from the skillet once it is nice and firm.

2. In the same skillet add 1 tablespoon oil and sauté onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, and sauté for 30 seconds. Add carrots, pepper, and mushroom. Cook till tender. 

3. Now add cooked tofu back to the skillet. Season the mixture with soy sauce, dark mushroom soy sauce, sugar, chili sauce and black pepper. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat off. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.

Peanut Sauce:

1. Take peanut butter in a small bowl. If  it is dry, add warm water and stir until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and stir well.

Build your Lettuce Wrap:

1. Separate the lettuce leaves and wash in cold water and dry the leaves.

2. Spoon the filling into the lettuce leaf. Top with peanut sauce. Fold the leaf over the filling and enjoy.

Notes:

1. I used 1 teaspoon of Gochujang in the peanut sauce for spice.

2. I used 2 teaspoons of spicy chili crisp for extra bite.

Hampi Chutney

 I had this tasty peanut chutney in a local restaurant on our way to Chikkamagaluru from Bangalore. My peanut chutney has only roasted peanuts, red chili,, mustard and urad dal. This chutney is served with dosa and idly.

Ingredients:

1 cup peanuts

5 pearl onions

5 green chili

4 garlic pods

1/2 inch garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon cumin

handful fresh mint

1 Tablespoon fresh coconut

handful cilantro

grape size tamarind

1 teaspoon sesame oil for tempering

1 teaspoon mustard

3-4 curry leaves

                                                         

Method:

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a pan on medium heat. Roast the peanuts for 5 minutes. Then add pearl onion, garlic, ginger, green chili and sauté for couple minutes. Then add cumin seeds, tamarind and mint. Sauté for couple minutes. Turn the stove off. Add coconut. Allow to cool completely.

                                   

2. Transfer everything to a blender. Add cilantro and salt as required. Grind to a smooth thick chutney, adding water as required. Transfer to a bowl.

3. Temper mustard and curry leaves in 1 teaspoon oil and pour it over the chutney. Serve with dosa or idly.

                                                  

Plum Cake

 The best plum cake or fruit cake I've eaten was in India, that my mom's student would bring for Christmas. Several years ago I got the perfect recipe for the plum cake that I used to make every year for Christmas. Delicate cake filled with dried fruit soaked in wine. I lost the recipe a couple years ago and have been searching for that perfect recipe. Last Christmas my school mate who was here for vacation brought me a plum cake made by her sister-in-law. It reminded me of the cake I used to make. I was so happy to finally get the perfect recipe once again. I soaked the fruit in rum and wine for 6 months and made the cake couple weeks back to bring for my sister.

Ingredients:

3 Cups dried fruit (black raisins, golden raisins, chopped dates, candied pineapple, candied cherry, tuti fruity, chopped cashew nuts, chopped almonds)

1 1/2 cups wine 

2 cups all purpose flour plus 2 Tablespoons

1 cup sugar

1cup butter at room temperature

4 eggs at room temperature

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup sugar for caramelizing

3/4 cup hot water

3 Tablespoon orange zest ( from 3-4 oranges)

2 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon all spice

                                                          

Method:

Soak fruits and nuts in wine for 1 month. Stir or toss every week.

                                 

                                                        

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two 9" round pans, and line with parchment.

2. Drain wine from fruit. Save the drained wine.

3. Now to caramelize sugar; in a saucepan place 1/2 cup sugar. Add hot water and mix to dissolve.

                                                             

4. Bring it to a boil. Do not touch the solution. It will start to caramelize in a few minutes (15). 

                                                             

5. Remove from stove when the color changes to dark amber. Add 1/2 teaspoon water little by little. Allow to cool.

                                                            

6. Separate the eggs. In a medium mixing bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks are formed.

                                       

7. Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl. Set aside.

8. In a large bowl, cream egg yolk and sugar with a spatula.

                                        

9. Add 1 cup room temperature softened butter to the yolk mixture and beat until creamy for 4 minutes. Add orange zest and vanilla. Beat until creamy, 1 minute.

10. Add all spice. Add flour in increment and beat on low speed, scraping as needed.

                                                             

11. Add caramelized sugar and mix gently.

                                         

12. Gently fold the egg white in two installments. Fold until fully incorporated.

                                                                

13. Add 2 Tablespoons of flour to the drained fruit and mix gently.

                                                                

14. Fold fruit gently into the cake batter. Stir in 2 Tablespoons of the wine reserve. The batter should be thick.

                                        

                                                               

15. Divide the batter among the 2 prepared pans. Level the pans with a spatula, and tap the pans on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

                                        

16. Cool cakes in pans for 15 minutes. Invert onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in a container. This cake freezes well.

                                        

                                           

Notes:

1. You can soak the fruit anywhere from 1 week to 12 months. The longer they are soaked the better.

2. I have used wine and rum for soaking.

3. Take care not to over mix batter. 

Baked Sweet Potato with Black beans

 This loaded baked sweet potato is a complete meal, stuffed with black beans and drenched in gochujang sauce.

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes, washed and scrubbed

2 Tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 scallions (spring onion), thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, grated

juice and zest of 1/2 lime

salt to taste

Gochujang sauce:

1 Tablespoon gochujang

3 Tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 Tablespoon tamari

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 teaspoon sesame seeds

juice and zest of 1/2 lime

3 Tablespoons water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Use a fork to poke a few holes in the sweet potato before cutting in half lengthwise. Place the sweet potatoes on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1/2 Tablespoon oil and rub over the potatoes. Place them cut side down on the sheet and roast for 30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft and the bottoms start to caramelize around the edges. Remove from oven. Lightly smash the tops with a fork and set aside.

                                                          

2. Meanwhile, place the drained black beans in a mixing bowl. 

3. Heat remaining oil in a small saucepan. Add whites of the spring onion and garlic and sauté for  minute, until the onion is soft, and the garlic is fragrant.

                                                                 

4. Stir in this mixture over the black beans along with the zest and juice of half lime, tamari and a pinch of salt. Taste and add salt if required. Set aside.

                                          

5. In a small bowl, add gochujang, maple syrup, tamari, sesame oil, sesame seeds, lime zest, juice from half lime and water. Whisk together. Pour this mixture to the same saucepan and bring to a simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Remove from heat.

                                                             

To assemble:

Place 2 sweet potato halves on a serving plate. Spoon over the black beans and drizzle with 1-2 spoons of the gochujang sauce. Top with extra spring onion if desired.

                                   

Bang Bang Slaw

Coleslaw with a twist. A little sweet a little spice, explodes your palate with flavor.

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

!/2 cabbage (Napa), finely chopped

2 medium carrots, grated

1 cucumber, chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/8 cup chopped mint

Dressing:

4 Tablespoons peanut butter

1 Tablespoon tahini

2 Tablespoons siracha

1 Tablespoon curry powder

4 Tablespoons maple syrup or agave

4 Tablespoons white wine vinegar or lime juice

salt to taste

                                                           

Method:

Stir the ingredients for dressing in a large bowl. Throw in the chopped vegetables. Mix well to coat. Garnish with crushed roasted peanuts.