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Bajan Sweet Potato Fish Cakes

Makes about 7 average fish cakes

Two kinds of fish cakes are popular in Barbados: deep-fried balls and pan-fried patties. This recipe makes lovely golden pan-fried patties. The sweet potato in these Bajan Fish Cakes is subtle and provides a great variation for those who don’t like a lot of heat. Serve with hot sauce for those who enjoy it!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb cooked sweet potato (about 1/2 an average sweet potato)
1/8 cup milk (only add as needed)
1/2 onion, grated (about 1/8 cup)
You can also mince the onion if you want the texture, but you may need more milk to make up for minced onions not being as wet as grated.
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
12 ounces skinned, deboned, cooked mahi mahi (or other white fish)
Tip: The skin is thick. Have them remove it at the fish market, you’ll save the cost of several ounces
1/2 cup flour for dredging
vegetable oil for deep-frying

Method:

1. Mash sweet potato, using only as much milk and onion as needed to make a normal “mashed potato” consistency. Stir in salt, pepper, egg, and parsley.

2. Flake fish and add to sweet potato mixture. (NOTE: My mixture is too runny… I added too much milk)

Finished mixture should be pretty stiff – so that it can be formed into patties. I had to thicken mine up to get the spatula to stick into it. (If your mixture seems too runny and won’t form patties, you can add flour to thicken things up, or more sweet potato).

(At this point you can chill the mixture until needed)

3. Heat oil in a wide skillet (the oil should go up the pan’s sides by about half an inch). Divide fish mixture into equal portions and form into fish patties. Wet your hands to help keep the mixture from sticking to your hands.

4. Lightly dredge fish cakes in flour and add to hot oil. Fry on both sides until golden brown. Serve immediately with hot sauce.

Hot Sauce:

Mix tomato ketchup with your favorite hot sauce and honey to taste. I liked mine with more ketchup and hot sauce (and only a smidge of honey).

Bajan Sweet Potato Fish Cakes
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Two kinds of fish cakes are popular in Barbados: deep-fried balls and pan-fried patties. This recipe makes lovely golden pan-fried patties. The sweet potato in these Bajan Fish Cakes is subtle and provides a great variation for those who don’t like a lot of heat. Serve with hot sauce for those who enjoy it!
Servings
7 fish cakes
Servings
7 fish cakes
Bajan Sweet Potato Fish Cakes
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Two kinds of fish cakes are popular in Barbados: deep-fried balls and pan-fried patties. This recipe makes lovely golden pan-fried patties. The sweet potato in these Bajan Fish Cakes is subtle and provides a great variation for those who don’t like a lot of heat. Serve with hot sauce for those who enjoy it!
Servings
7 fish cakes
Servings
7 fish cakes
Ingredients
  • 1/2 lb sweet potatoes , cooked (about 1/2 an average sweet potato)
  • 1/8 cup milk (only add as needed)
  • 1/2 onion , grated (about 1/8 cup)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 egg , beaten
  • 2 Tbsp parsley (freshly minced)
  • 12 oz mahi mahi skinned, de-boned and cooked (or substitute with white fish)
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (for dredging)
  • vegetable oil (for deep-frying)
Servings: fish cakes
Units:
Instructions
  1. Mash sweet potato, using only as much milk and onion as need to make a normal "mashed potato" consistency. Stir in salt, pepper, egg, and parsley.
  2. Flake fish and add to sweet potato mixture should be pretty stiff — so that it can be formed into patties. I had to thicken mine up to get the spatula to stick into it. (At this point you can chill the mixture until needed)
  3. Heat oil in a wide skillet (the oil should go up the pan's sides by about a half an inch). Divide fish mixture into equal portions and form into fish patties. Wet your hands to help keep the mixture from sticking to your hands.
  4. Lightly dredge fish cakes in flour and add to hot oil. Fry on both sides until golden brown. Serve immediately with hot sauce.
Recipe Notes

Tip: The skin on the mahi mahi is thick. Have them remove it at the fish market, you’ll save the cost of several ounces

If your mixture seems too runny and won’t form patties, you can add flour to thicken things up, or more sweet potato.

 

Spiked Coconut Water

Makes 1 drink

Although I came up with this name, the drink idea came to me from Jimmy Buffett. He recommends this refreshing blend for the slightly tropical, headache free, sipping pleasure it provides. He probably doesn’t use coconut rum, but I like my drinks sweeter than stout, so I went for the Parrot’s Bay. Go with your instincts when making yours.

Ingredients:

1 shot chilled coconut rum or plain, Caribbean rum
2 shots chilled coconut water (available at whole foods)
1/2 a lime, juiced
crushed ice
lime wedge for garnish

Method:

1. Pour all ingredients in a short glass. Add crushed ice to the top.

2. Garnish with lime wedge. Stir and sip! We made two… 🙂

Spiked Coconut Water
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Although I came up with this name, the drink idea came to me from Jimmy Buffett. He recommends this refreshing blend for the slightly tropical, headache free, sipping pleasure it provides. He probably doesn’t use coconut rum, but I like my drinks sweeter than stout, so I went for the Parrot’s Bay. Go with your instincts when making yours.
Servings
1 drink
Servings
1 drink
Spiked Coconut Water
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Although I came up with this name, the drink idea came to me from Jimmy Buffett. He recommends this refreshing blend for the slightly tropical, headache free, sipping pleasure it provides. He probably doesn’t use coconut rum, but I like my drinks sweeter than stout, so I went for the Parrot’s Bay. Go with your instincts when making yours.
Servings
1 drink
Servings
1 drink
Ingredients
  • 1 shot coconut rum , chilled (or plain, caribbean rum)
  • 2 shots coconut water , chilled (available at whole foods)
  • 1/2 lime , juiced
  • crushed ice
  • lime wedge (for garnish)
Servings: drink
Units:
Instructions
  1. Pour all ingredients in a short glass. Add crushed ice to the top.

Bajan Pound Cake with Cherries | Christmas Puddin’

Makes about one 10″ bundt cake or several smaller cakes

Enjoy this lovely pound cake cold with hot tea or a tall glass of milk. We loved the addition of maraschino cherries and wished we would have added more (we only added about 20 chopped cherries). A yummy cake – my husband has already requested it for his birthday!

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 sticks (2 cups) butter (room temperature)
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
chopped maraschino cherries to taste (optional)

NOTE: This recipe makes a lot of batter, so you may want to divide it into more than one pan, even if you use the 10″ bundt. You’ll see in our pics it threatened to overflow… but luckily didn’t. If you decide to live on the edge, like us, just put a cookie sheet under the cake to save you the trouble of a messy clean up.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Sift flour and baking powder together. Set aside.

2. In a standing mixer, cream sugar and butter together. Then, beat in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated.

3. Beat in half the flour mixture. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Add the half milk mixture to the batter. Then beat in remaining flour. Finally, beat in the last of the milk mixture. Make sure to scrape the sides.

4. Optional: Fold in chopped cherries.

NOTE: The more cherries you use, the more batter you will have and the more likely it will be that you will require several pans.

5. Pour batter into a greased bundt pan (or other desired pans). As I mentioned, this quantity almost overflowed from my 10 inch pan, so you might be better off planning to divide it between a couple of different pans.

Living dangerous with a VERY full bundt pan

6. Bake for about 45 minutes or until tester comes out clean. (You will probably have to bake for less time if you use smaller pans).

VERY IMPORTANT: Let cakes come to room temperature in pans, then unmold. If you don’t, you’ll regret it. This cake is very crumbly when warm!!

Bajan Pound Cake with Cherries | Christmas Puddin'
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Rating: 4
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Enjoy this lovely pound cake cold with hot tea or a tall glass of milk. We loved the addition of maraschino cherries and wished we would have added more (we only added about 20 chopped cherries). A yummy cake – my husband has already requested it for his birthday!
Servings Prep Time
10" cake 20 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
10" cake 20 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Bajan Pound Cake with Cherries | Christmas Puddin'
Votes: 4
Rating: 4
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Enjoy this lovely pound cake cold with hot tea or a tall glass of milk. We loved the addition of maraschino cherries and wished we would have added more (we only added about 20 chopped cherries). A yummy cake – my husband has already requested it for his birthday!
Servings Prep Time
10" cake 20 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
10" cake 20 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Ingredients
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups butter , softened
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • pinch salt
  • maraschino cherries , chopped
Servings: cake
Units:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Sift flour and baking powder together. Set aside.
  2. In a standing mixer, cream sugar and butter together. Then, beat in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated.
  3. Beat in half the flour mixture. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Add the half milk mixture to the batter. Then beat in remaining flour. Finally, beat in the last of the milk mixture. Make sure to scrape the sides.
  4. Optional: Fold in chopped cherries.
  5. Pour batter into a greased bundt pan (or other desired pans). As I mentioned, this quantity almost overflowed from my 10 inch pan, so you might be better off planning to divide it between a couple of different pans.
  6. Pour batter into a greased bundt pan (or other desired pans). As I mentioned, this quantity almost overflowed from my 10 inch pan, so you might be better off planning to divide it between a couple of different pans.
  7. Bake for about 45 minutes or until tester comes out clean. (You will probably have to bake for less time if you use smaller pans).
Recipe Notes

NOTE: This recipe makes a lot of batter, so you may want to divide it into more than one pan, even if you use the 10″ bundt. You’ll see in our pics it threatened to overflow… but luckily didn’t. If you decide to live on the edge, like us, just put a cookie sheet under the cake to save you the trouble of a messy clean up.

NOTE: The more cherries you use, the more batter you will have and the more likely it will be that you will require several pans.

VERY IMPORTANT: Let cakes come to room temperature in pans, then unmold. If you don’t, you’ll regret it. This cake is very crumbly when warm!!

The Concord of Barbados

TGIF everyone!

– Barbados is tiny at only 430 square kilometers. The island was uninhabited when the British moved in to make sugar plantations. As a result there is not much that can be grown commercially on the island, aside from sugarcane, some vegetables, and cotton (Source: CIA World Factbook).

– Although the supersonic Concorde planes have been permanently grounded, one was retired to Barbados to serve as a museum for tourists and locals. http://www.barbadosconcorde.com/

File:Concorde.planview.arp.jpg

Photo courtesy of Arpingstone

– Flying Fish and cou cou is the national dish of Barbados. Cou cou is a smooth puree of cornmeal peppered with okra.

– I’ve asked around. Rumor has it there’s not a whole lot of veggies being eaten in Barbados. The veggie-type foods they do eat include sweet potato, asparagus, plantains, okra, and cucumber.

– Bakes, made of flour, water, and sugar, are considered the most basic food in Barbados. According to Totally Barbados:

Bakes are affectionately known as “survival food”, and rightfully so because when cupboards are bare, you can almost always find these three ingredients somewhere.

– Jimmy Buffett loves Barbados; one of his favorite drinks comes from this island. I’ve not seen a name for it, so I’ve called the drink “Spiked Coconut Water.” The recipe will be online Monday morning. 🙂 Here’s how Buffett describes the drink:

It’s basically just good Caribbean rum, coconut water — the clear stuff from the coconut that you can now get in Whole Foods; not Coco Lopez — a fresh piece of lime, and lots of ice. That’s it. No bubbles, lots of electrolytes, and no hangover — if you don’t drink a gallon.

Source: Men’s Journal

…

Working with Dried Beans

Take a stroll down the beach. White sands. Crystal waters. Beans.

If you’re in the Caribbean, chances are you’re going to have beans on your plate at least once during your stay. Beans show up most famously in ‘Peas n’ Rice.” Don’t be fooled by the absence of the word “bean” in the title, though. In this case “peas” refers to the bean called Pigeon Peas (or Black Eyed Peas). As an alternative Peas n’ Rice is sometimes made with kidney beans. If you don’t end up eating Peas n’ Rice, you’ll probably end up eating a spicy soup or side dish made with black beans.

Dried beans are healthy and cheap. I used to be one of those people who popped open a can of beans whenever I needed them. Then I found out that a can of beans contains my daily allotment of sodium. Unable to stand the guilt, I started to use dried beans.

Dried beans contain no sodium, so the power is in your hands to make them as healthy (or unhealthy) as you want. And beans can be mighty healthy. According to Galen, the high-fiber, low-fat food is the gladiators’ food of choice!

The gladiators with me use a lot of this sort of food each day when building up the condition of their bodies not with dense and compressed flesh, as does pork, but instead rather more spongy.

Source: On the Powers of Foods A.D. 180 by Galen, in Choice Cuts.
File:Galen detail.jpg

Photo courtesy of the National Library of Medicine

Basics:

1. Sift through dried beans for yuckies (pebbles, misshapen beans, dirt, etc). Rinse.
2. Soak overnight in plenty of cool water (8 hours). (1 cup of dried beans requires about 5 cups of water)
3. Simmer in enough water to cover by one inch. Cook until tender – anywhere from 3o minutes to two hours.
4. Do NOT add salt until beans are tender:

Add salt only after beans are cooked to tender. If added before, salt may cause bean skins to become impermeable, halting the tenderizing process.

Source: American Bean

FAQ:

How big do dried beans get when soaked?

Dried beans triple in size when soaked overnight in plenty of cool water.

What should I do if a recipe calls for canned beans and I have dried beans (or vice versa)?

Substitutions work as follows:

1 can of beans = 1 .5 cups cooked beans, drained = 1/2 cup dried beans

Here are some other useful equivalents:

1 pound dry beans equals 6 cups cooked beans, drained.
1 pound dry beans equals 2 cups dry beans.
1 cup dry beans equals 3 cups cooked beans, drained.

Should I make a huge batch of beans at a time?

Yes. This is the most efficient use of your time and energy. Once cooked you can freeze the beans in small portions for up to 6 months. Alternatively, they can be covered and refrigerated for about five days.

What if beans give me gas?

Eat more beans.

That’s right. If you make beans a regular part of your diet, your body will adjust and the gassy effect will become minimal.

Even Galen knew this 1,830 years ago:

a sensation arises throughout the whole body of stretching due to flatulent wind, especially when that person is unused to this sort of food or eats it without proper cooking.

Source: On the Powers of Foods A.D. 180 by Galen, in Choice Cuts.

What constitutes proper cooking varies by person.. but here are some the ideas floating around:

Rinse canned and dried beans after soaking …
Use Beano drops…
Try a quick soak in hot water (for 1-2 hours instead of 8)…
Use plenty of herbs like cumin, oregano, turmeric, cilantro, cinnamon, and lemongrass.

Menu: Barbados

Thank goodness you guys aren’t subjected to the agonizing decision process that goes on in my house each week. It literally takes me two days of sifting through recipes to narrow things down. My husband deserves an award for the moral support he gives so freely. Anyway, from all the great options in Barbados, I finally decided on a solid menu of “comfort food.”

Bajan Sweet Potato Fish Cakes [Recipe]
Large flakes of Mahi Mahi blended with mashed sweet potato and seasoned with onion, pepper, and parsley. Substitute your favorite white fish if Mahi Mahi is not available.

Bajan Peas N’ Rice [Recipe]
This common Caribbean side dish comes to life in Barbados with your choice of pigeon peas or kidney beans, rice, and parsley.

Spiked Coconut Water [Recipe]
This stout, mildy sweet drink mixes coconut water with coconut rum and fresh lime juice. Serve over crushed ice.

Bajan Christmas Puddin’ (Pound Cake with Cherries) [Recipe]
Although this pretty pound cake is most common at Christmastime, locals enjoy it all year round. Bake in a bundt pan, slice and serve with hot tea.

About the food of Barbados


Photo courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

A couple of years ago my husband spent a week in Chicago for a work training program. Every day his teacher spent 4 hours off-topic, gushing about his trips to the beautiful island. You’d think this would make my husband an expert on Barbados, but unfortunately he didn’t take notes.

Also known as “Little England,” the island of Barbados is an ethnic melting pot. Although the majority of the Bajan people originally came from Africa, the people and the cuisine are also peppered with influence from South America, England, India, and China.

The result? A unique and diverse food culture.

Mainstays include fish, seafood, and more fish. The list includes some funny names like flying fish and wahoo (like a mackerel), and dried cod (salt fish), smoked herring, conch, crayfish, grouper, and snapper. Fish is served a multitude of ways – including fried (in a cornmeal crust), baked, stewed, in fish cakes, and grilled.

England is one of the dominant influences because Barbados was a British colony for over 300 years. As a result, popular sweets include steamed pudding, high tea and biscuits/cookies.

If you’re looking for meat, pork and ham are common choices, as is chicken. These meats (and fish, too) are often marinated in spicy Bajan Seasoning. The love for hot food (most notably thanks to the habanero) is rampant in Barbados, although certainly not present in every dish. Bajan Seasoning can be used on any kind of meat or fish for a flavor boost. The ingredients include:

Parsley, dill, thyme, marjoram, green onion, onion, garlic, habenero pepper, vinegar, lime juice, salt & pepper

To make a picnic more Bajani try homemade salt bread and ham cutters. Cutters is just another name for a sandwich. Salt bread is the iconic bread of Barbados. When made into a roll the inside is soft and the outside has a slight crust.

A holiday dish called jug-jug is another tradition in Barbados. Jug-jug is made of lentils, rolled oats, bacon, corned beef, and aromatics. The dish is often served with peas n’ rice (a Caribbean staple) and fried plantains.

Fruits and vegetables include sweet potato, okra, plantain, cabbage, eggplants, beans, and mangoes. One particularly interesting vegetable dish is called “conkies.” Conkies are typically made of cornmeal, sweet potato, pumpkin, raisins, coconut, brown sugar, and nutmeg. These ingredients are blended together into a paste and then wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. Savory conkies can be made, too. The tradition of wrapping starches in banana leaves made its way to Barbados from West Africa.

If you want something to drink and don’t feel like falernum (made from rum, lime juice, sugar, and amaretto), try kid-friendly lemonade, gingerale, or mauby. This local Bajani describes mauby, a healthy drink made from bark:

I am from Barbados West Indies. Mauby is a daily drink for us — all ages. It is made with cinnamon sticks, anise, (angostura bitters optional) and sugar to taste, water and lots of ice. It’s most refreshing.I am 70 years old and still drinking it. I have an excellent blood pressure and my blood sugar is under control. JH

Source: Wise Geek

Photo courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

Monday Meal Review: Bangladesh

Entertaining tip: If the food is going to be spicy, invite people who can take the heat!

Sounds like a no-brainer, but little details like this are important. Not knowing your guests’ preferences can turn a great night into a total buzz-kill.

“Oh, I didn’t know you don’t like spicy food!”

“Oops, I had no idea you were allergic to shellfish.”

“What do you mean, you are vegan!?”

“What does kosher mean?”

“Oh, you don’t approve of drinking alcohol with lunch?”

See what I mean?

Awkward, awkward, awkward.

Bangladeshi food is intensely spicy both in heat and flavor. That’s why it was important to find a guest who could appreciate this. As a hostess it is so more much fun to watch people enjoy the experience you created for them, rather than “fake” enjoyment.

Thankfully my husband and our friend Joe (from Joe’s Burger Search) enjoys sweating over their meals. Joe likes hot food so much that he actually makes his own habanero hot sauce in his kitchen, simultaneously creating a 15 foot wide cloud of homemade pepper spray!

I’m thinking of stealing this idea for when I make cookies.

You gotta keep people out somehow!

Potato Curry (Aloor Dom/Aloo Dum) [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish:

The smooth, fiery curry sauce was somewhat addictive in a “tearing my eyes out” kind of way. Because I generally like my food “mild to medium,” I really appreciated that the whole potatoes did not absorb the fire-causing capsicum. This meant that I could take bites of the potato with some or none of the sauce, depending on my mood for that bite!

What I liked least about this dish:

The spice level was a bit much for me. But that’s what I get for asking a native Bengali how much chili powder to add. Their mild is certainly very, very hot for my weak tastebuds (even by western standards). If you want to recreate this blazing hot experience, be sure to buy your chili powder from an Indian market – the blend is not the same as the chili powder we eat with our tacos here in Oklahoma. BUT, should you want to make this dish mild you can, which is great news for wimps like me.

Although there is a long list of ingredients, this dish is easy to make and does just fine for leftovers.

Fish and leeks in Hot Mustard Sauce (Sorse Bata Diya Maach) [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish:

The salmon was so tender…it was almost unbelievable. This was my first time marinating salmon overnight and the results were astounding. Tender and succulent just begin to describe this fish. Of course, you can still ruin the salmon by overcooking or over-marinating (although steaming helps minimize the damage you can do).

What I liked least about this dish:

I went back and forth on the mustard sauce in this dish. At first I thought it was a bit much, but then I got used to the pungency. Plus, when eaten with the other dishes, the flavor made sense.

Spinach Bhaji (Palong Shaak Bhaji) [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish:

The star of this dish is the blend of whole spices, Ponch Phoron. This Bengali spice blend gives “boring” sauteed spinach a new lease on life. Of course the caramelized onion and garlic help, too!

What I liked least about this dish:

There’s nothing I didn’t like about this dish. In the interest of presenting all points of view, however, I’ll tell you this: my husband thought the spices were “weird” and although he “really wanted to like the spinach,” he “couldn’t. The sad result? Only one or two bites were missing from the mound on his plate.

Vermicelli in Sweet Custard (Shemai Custard) [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish:

Have I ever told you how being a cook is like being a sorcerer with magical powers? Take this dessert, for example. The only thing that thickens the milk into custard is vermicelli noodles. This “magic” amazes me and makes me all giddy. I mean, really. It is just awesome.

Apart from the cool food magic, the flavor is pretty good too. This dessert reminds me of rice pudding, but with noodles. I enjoyed the cardamom which accents the raisins perfectly.

What I liked least about this dish:

I made this dessert a couple of times in order to get the ratios right. Ugg.  I’m warning you now – the internet abounds with bad versions of this recipe (like bizzaro sweet fettuccine alfredo tasting stuff). Thankfully I was able to find a native who could tell me how the dessert should look and taste. Otherwise we’d be in big trouble.

Anyway, once the trial and error were done the dish is easy to make and worth the effort. (Vermicelli custard is also popular in India btw)… its just getting the recipe right!

Ava’s corner

Ava ate the spinach pureed with potato (but not the potatoes from this meal as I did not want to risk giving her that kind of heat). She also ate the salmon. At first we tried to protect her from the mustard sauce, but after a while we let her have pieces of fish that had some on it. She did not mind at all, and gobbled the whole thing up.

Vermicelli in Sweet Custard | Shemai Custard

Serves 8-10

This sweet custard reminds me of rice pudding. The man who taught me all about how to make this dish told me that the mixture should neither pour off the spoon, nor stick too much to the spoon. I love directions like that – they make sense! Anyway, if you want to increase this recipe, or decrease it, use this guideline: for every cup of vermicelli, you need 4 cups milk.

Ingredients:

3 oz roasted vermicelli – about 2 cups (about 1/2 the package pictured)
8 cups milk
pinch of salt
4 cardamom pods, cracked
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup himalayan raisins (or golden raisins)
1/8 cup thinly slivered almonds

Method:

NOTE: Roasted vermicelli is made of wheat flour. I found it at our local Indian market (Laxmi Spices of India 5555 East 41st St, Tulsa).

1. Cut vermicelli into 1 inch pieces with scissors, taking care to not fling pieces all over the kitchen. Just go slow and you should be fine.

2. Add vermicelli to a large pot with milk, salt, cardamom, and brown sugar.

NOTE: Do not add raisins at this point or you will never get the cardamom pods out – too hard to tell the difference once the custard thickens up. Trust me, I learned the hard way!

3. Bring mixture to a simmer and heat until thickened to the consistency of a loose pudding. Stir often. This will take 30-45 minutes over low heat. After about 20 minutes carefully remove cardamom pods and add raisins.

2. Spoon into individual dessert bowls and top with slivered almonds. Serve warm or chilled.

Vermicelli in Sweet Custard | Shemai Custard
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
This sweet custard reminds me of rice pudding. The man who taught me all about how to make this dish told me that the mixture should neither pour off the spoon, nor stick too much to the spoon. I love directions like that – they make sense! Anyway, if you want to increase this recipe, or decrease it, use this guideline: for every cup of vermicelli, you need 4 cups milk.
Servings
8-10 people
Servings
8-10 people
Vermicelli in Sweet Custard | Shemai Custard
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
This sweet custard reminds me of rice pudding. The man who taught me all about how to make this dish told me that the mixture should neither pour off the spoon, nor stick too much to the spoon. I love directions like that – they make sense! Anyway, if you want to increase this recipe, or decrease it, use this guideline: for every cup of vermicelli, you need 4 cups milk.
Servings
8-10 people
Servings
8-10 people
Ingredients
  • 3 oz roasted vermicelli (about 2 cups)
  • 8 cups milk
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 4 cardamom pods , cracked
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup himalayan raisins (or golden raisins)
  • 1/8 cup slivered almonds (finely chopped or crushed)
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
  1. Cut vermicelli into 1 inch pieces with scissors, taking care to not fling pieces all over the kitchen. Just go slow and you should be fine.
  2. Add vermicelli to a large pot with milk, salt, cardamom, and brown sugar. NOTE: Do not add raisins at this point or you will never get the cardamom pods out – too hard to tell the difference once the custard thickens up. Trust me, I learned the hard way!
  3. Bring mixture to a simmer and heat until thickened to the consistency of a loose pudding. Stir often. This will take 30-45 minutes over low heat. After about 20 minutes carefully remove cardamom pods and add raisins.
  4. Spoon into individual dessert bowls and top with slivered almonds.
  5. Serve warm or chilled.
Recipe Notes

NOTE: Roasted vermicelli is made of wheat flour. I found it at our local Indian market (Laxmi Spices of India 5555 East 41st St, Tulsa).

Fish and leeks in Hot Mustard Sauce | Sorse Bata Diya Maach

Serves 4

We made this flavorful dish with salmon which became incredibly tender after an overnight marinade and gentle steaming. Although not very spicy, the mustard sauce reminds me of wasabi.

Ingredients:

About 1 1/2 lbs of fish pieces or 4 fish filets (salmon or trout are ideal)
1 large leek, cleaned and sliced thin (only white and medium green, not dark green parts)
4 green onions, sliced thin

For the sauce:

1/4 cup chopped cilantro
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 inch fresh ginger, grated (about 1 Tbsp)
2-6 green chilis (4 = Medium Hot)
1 tsp cracked mustard seed (Rai Kuria)
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp mustard oil

Method:

For the sauce:

1. Put all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Puree. (or use an immersion blender).

2. Add sauce and fish to a casserole. Sink fish into the mixture and cover completely. Let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

3. Heat a little mustard oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and green onions. Cook until soft. Add fish and cover. Steam until just cooked through. Serve immediately over rice.


Fish and leeks in Hot Mustard Sauce | Sorse Bata Diya Maach
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We made this flavorful dish with salmon which became incredibly tender after an overnight marinade and gentle steaming. Although not very spicy, the mustard sauce reminds me of wasabi.
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 minutes 8 hours
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 minutes 8 hours
Fish and leeks in Hot Mustard Sauce | Sorse Bata Diya Maach
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
We made this flavorful dish with salmon which became incredibly tender after an overnight marinade and gentle steaming. Although not very spicy, the mustard sauce reminds me of wasabi.
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 minutes 8 hours
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 minutes 8 hours
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 lbs salmon (trout or other firm-fleshed fish may be substituted)
  • 1 large leek , cleaned and sliced thin (dark green removed)
  • 4 green onions , sliced thin
For the sauce:
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (freshly chopped)
  • 4 cloves garlic , crushed
  • 1 1/2 inch ginger root , freshly grated
  • 2-6 green chilies , as desired
  • 1 tsp cracked mustard seed (Rai Kuria)
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 15 ounces canned tomatoes (diced)
  • 1 Tbsp mustard oil
Servings:
Units:
Instructions
  1. Put all sauce ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Puree. (or use an immersion blender).
  2. Add sauce and fish to a casserole. Sink fish into the mixture and cover completely. Let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
  3. Heat a little mustard oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and green onions. Cook until soft. Add fish (with sauce) and cover. Steam until just cooked through. Cooking times will vary depending on thickness of fish.
  4. Serve immediately over rice.

Spinach Bhaji | Palong Shaak Bhaji

Serves 4

The haunting spice of the panch phoron (fennel seed, mustard seed, black nigella, golden fenugreek and brown cumin seed) really makes this dish unique. Panch phoron is not blended into a powder. Instead the seeds are added whole, creating a subtle crunch. Very tasty variation on spinach.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 green chili peppers
1 small onion sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp panch phoron
1 lb chopped, frozen spinach
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a skill over medium-high. Add chili and toast for 2 minutes.

2. Add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and panch phoron. Spices will start to pop and crackle when ready.

3. Add spinach, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, allowing all the flavors to meld.


Spinach Bhaji | Palong Shaak Bhaji)
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
The haunting spice of the panch phoron (fennel seed, mustard seed, black nigella, golden fenugreek and brown cumin seed) really makes this dish unique. Panch phoron is not blended into a powder. Instead the seeds are added whole, creating a subtle crunch. Very tasty variation on spinach.
Servings
4 people
Servings
4 people
Spinach Bhaji | Palong Shaak Bhaji)
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
The haunting spice of the panch phoron (fennel seed, mustard seed, black nigella, golden fenugreek and brown cumin seed) really makes this dish unique. Panch phoron is not blended into a powder. Instead the seeds are added whole, creating a subtle crunch. Very tasty variation on spinach.
Servings
4 people
Servings
4 people
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 green chili peppers
  • 1 small onions , sliced thinly
  • 2 cloves garlic , crushed
  • 1 tsp panch phoron
  • 1 lb spinach (thawed) frozen spinach, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a skill over medium-high. Add chili and toast for 2 minutes.
  2. Add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and panch phoron. Spices will start to pop and crackle when ready.
  3. Add spinach, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, allowing all the flavors to meld.