Frugal Floozie Friday - Cardamom

My dear friend Marcie joined Jeremy and me at Cardamom recently; Marcie and I had been counting down 'til it opened, and Jeremy was happy to share in the adventure of trying a brand spankin' new restaurant.

Marcie, unfortunately, suffers from numerous food allergies and intolerances; so Cardamom's menu - which provides a code indicating which items are vegetarian or vegan, which can be made gluten-free or vegan, which ones contain nuts or gluten - makes ordering much easier for those who need to be careful with their diets. Our waitress, Grace, was wonderfully helpful, too, in answering questions and checking with the kitchen to find out information about ingredients.

We ended up ordering an array of items from the lunch menu (available Tuesday - Friday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.) to try numerous dishes. The dinner menu is more extensive and costs a bit extra because of larger servings; the lunch menu offers some sandwiches and other quick items, as it is designed to facilitate a fast meal - but not typical "fast food" - for busy folks who need to get back to work for the afternoon.

The vegetarian thali (pictured above) costs only $10 and is absolutely generous enough for two, to meet our mandatory Frugal Floozie Friday budget of $5 per person. I ate a huge lunch from this platter, shared tastes, and still had enough food to bring home for another meal the next day. There were dishes of chickpeas, cauliflower, spinach, and lentils; rice and naan; chutney and pickles; and even dessert, the creamy and fragrant rice pudding.

All but one of the appetizers comes in under budget, so we ordered the Vegetable Pakora (left; potatoes, onions, spinach, and cauliflower) and Onion Bhaji (right) for $4 each.  I could happily have made a lunch from either of these, or divvied them up to enjoy a plate of half-and-half. The fried fritters, dipped in a chickpea flour batter, come with both tamarind and mint chutneys for dipping, and were excellent.

A full serving of the cardamom-infused rice pudding costs $3.50. Jeremy ordered the Gulab Jamun - fried balls of dough in a sweet, rose-scented syrup - which also costs $3.50, and which he enjoyed immensely; I was fortunate to be given a small taste, to see how good they were.

You could also order a cup of soup for $3, a generously-portioned side salad for $4 (the lime vinaigrette, one of three choices for a dressing, was lovely and bright), one of the numerous beverages (the mango lassi for $3.50 was rich and creamy), or one of the luscious desserts (most of which come in under budget, or could easily be shared with a loved one).

I love Indian food, so it's wonderful to welcome another restaurant offering this fabulous cuisine!

Cardamom
1739 Plymouth Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
734-662-2877
Tuesday - Thursday: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., 5 - 10 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., 5 - 10:30 p.m.
Closed Mondays



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The Next Best Thing to a Free Lunch

I think we all know I'm a frugal girl.

That's not the same as cheap - I expect some value for my expenditures. I'm not just trying to save money, I'm also trying not to waste it. I shop sales, and am the Queen of the Thrift Stores. I also love Manager's Specials - deals at the grocery store when foods are near their expiration date, so that they're being pushed off the shelves at half-price or less. There's nothing wrong with the food, it's just that new stuff is moving in to take its place if the old stuff will go away to make some room. I'm happy to help, and do a little tour of the store each time I'm there - I'm on a mission to look for the prized orange stickers indicating reduced prices.

So, needless to say, I'm also a fan of leftovers. Sometimes I'll eat them "as is," and sometimes I'll re-purpose them. Jeremy and I watched an episode of "Chopped" recently in which the entire show was devoted to leftovers; most of the chefs groused and whined, whereas I was in my glory coming up with ideas!

When I happened to have a number of items to combine into one stellar meal recently, I made myself a lovely lunch to take to work.

Having enjoyed a fabulous Indian meal from Curry Up, I had extra sambhar sauce that had been served with lentil dumplings. Having also eaten a great Chinese meal from the Evergreen Restaurant, there was plenty of rice waiting for a new lease on life.

I also had a small carton of coconut water that my friend Deborah had given to me. She remembers having visited her grandfather in Puerto Rico when she was young, and his having cracked open a coconut for her to drink from; the fresh beverage was amazing! So when she found coconut water for sale at the market, she instinctively bought some ... too bad. She said herself that she didn't know what she was expecting or thinking, but this stuff was not even remotely close to what she remembered. So she gave it to me, confident that I could find some use for it. I'm still contemplating a really noble purpose that lets it shine; but in the meantime, it definitely served me here.

And the final piece to my ridiculously inexpensive dish was a can of chickpeas that I'd bought on sale for less than $1.

Who would have thought such a mishmash of items would make such a fabulous, nutritious lunch to bring with me one cold day when hot food was very much appreciated???

Curried Chickpeas with Spinach

• 1 cup leftover Sambhar sauce (or use a jarred curry sauce)
• generous pinch of red pepper flakes
• generous pinch of kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup coconut water
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves
• leftover rice from a Chinese dinner, reheated for serving

Place the sauce, red pepper flakes, salt, curry powder, chickpeas, and coconut water into a medium saucepan; bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in spinach just until wilted. Serve over rice.

Makes 2 servings.

Sweet Corn with Cumin, Curry Leaves, and Chilis

As you read yesterday - when I posted a lovely recipe for Chicken Curry - my friend Sid, who regularly sends me videos showing how to prepare delicious traditional Indian recipes, told me that I should look into a bloggers' link-up that involved cooking from the fabulous book 660 Curries.

Well, as someone who loves Indian food, you can imagine my glee in perusing the cookbook!!! I had to start cooking right away, after being led into temptation, so I made several recipes with ingredients I had on hand, tweaking ever so slightly to accommodate my pantry.

One dish that I made on a cold, dreary day and brought to work for lunch sounded so simple, so much like a throwaway; but the ingredients had been available, so it won the coin toss.

I was so surprised and delighted to find that this was a fabulous dish! Bright, spicy, addictive - I kept eating and eating, enjoying it so much!

Instead of using the red chilis called for in the recipe, I put a small piece of my lone ghost pepper into the mix. And just before serving, I mixed in some of the Indian snack mix I had recently bought, which contains all sorts of lovely crispy tidbits with a hint of sweetness. (If you don't have access to an Indian market, here's a recipe; just add a handful of golden raisins to approximate the mix I bought at the store.) It was one of the best lunches I'd brought to work in a long time!

You could serve this corn as a side dish with meat, over rice, with naan ... it's up to you. But serve it, even if it sounds a bit unusual. It really is fabulous!


Sweet Corn with Cumin, Curry Leaves, and Chilis

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 3 cups frozen corn
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 large curry leaves
• 1 small red pepper, finely chopped

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and turmeric; cook for 10 seconds. Add the corn, water, cilantro, and salt; bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat to medium. Add curry leaves and pepper; cook for 8-10 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the curry leaves and serve immediately.

4-6 as a side dish.

Chicken Curry with Tomato and Coconut Milk

My friend Sid, who regularly sends me enticing videos showing how to prepare delicious traditional Indian recipes, told me that I should "check out" a bloggers' event: cooking from the fabulous book 660 Curries.

Well, cooking from scratch ... Indian food ... curries ... spices ... sigh ... :)

Chicken, lamb, vegetables, lentils, oh my! Familiar favorites were featured, of course. But there were also interesting and intriguing items such as a savory dish combining pineapple, coconut, and coffee; a chili- and fenugreek-infused matzah ball soup; and ivy gourd, a bitter vegetable resembling a mini cucumber, that I'd never heard of.

As I skimmed through the book, there was a swirl of tastes and aromas and fragrant spices dancing in my head. What to cook? What to make?

Well, I needed to do something immediately, tempted as I was. And since my entire freezer door is filled with mostly Indian spices - I'm serious! I've got cardamom, curry leaves, cumin seeds, black sesame seeds, Garam Masala, and others - I had the basics for making a fabulous dish. So, then, I had chicken thighs, lentils, spinach, some leftover coconut milk; what could I find from the 660 options to make right away?

The Chicken Curry, made with coconut milk and a tomato - a classic.

I substituted ground ginger for fresh, and I used chicken thighs rather than the boneless chicken breast cubes that the recipe called for; therefore, I needed to cook the dish for longer than indicated. But it turned out beautifully - tender, flavorful, a wonderful dinner! It was such a nice, easy meal for a cold, cloudy fall day.

Chicken Curry with Tomato and Coconut Milk

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 4 large chicken thighs
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ginger
• 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder (tends to be a hotter blend)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• jasmine rice and mango chutney, for serving

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet; add chicken and cook, covered, 10 minutes per side until golden brown. Uncover skillet and remove chicken to a plate.

Drain most of the fat, then add onion, garlic and ginger; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is softened. Add curry powder, salt, and coconut milk; bring just to a boil.

Return chicken to skillet skin-side up, turn heat down to medium, and add tomato. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, until sauce is thickened.

Serve with mango chutney and jasmine rice.

Serves 4.

Frugal Floozie Friday - Curry Up

My friend Ingrid Ault had been watching Curry Up, on Nixon Road, as zealously as I had, waiting desperately for this new restaurant, which serves Indian street food, to open.

Well, apparently so had much of the city. Each time I go by now, and when Ingrid and I shared a fabulous dinner there recently, the place has been filled with diners and also busy with take-out customers. And with good reason - the service is friendly, and the food is exceptional!

There were many options that meet our mandatory $5 per person budget, so it was really hard to choose what to try first. We scoped out what others were eating, and Ingrid approached one group to find out what they'd ordered, seeking guidance to help narrow down the options. Before they left, they also came to visit our table and noted our recommendations. The atmosphere in this small restaurant was very warm, welcoming, and convivial.

Ultimately, Ingrid ordered the Pani Puri, pictured above, for $4.79. These are described simply as "Hollow puris filled with Potatoes & Spicy Tangy Water," a woefully inadequate synopsis for a dish with so much flavor. The crisp puri - the small spheres - are light, and let the flavor of the filling come through distinctly. The tangy water - which you drizzle into the center of the puri - is tamarind-based, and there are two different dipping sauces for creating even more complex flavor combinations. Eight puris make a great meal for one or a snack for two.

I ordered the Vada and Sambhar - "Lentil Dumplings served with CURRY UP Sambhar" - for $4.99. I love this dish, and have even bought inferior frozen varieties at times, just to have a stash on hand for when cravings strike. The dumplings are somewhat reminiscent of dense, savory doughnuts; the sauce is spicy, but not too hot. It's simple comfort food.

Ingrid also ordered the Mysore Masala dosa, a "Crepe Layered Inside with Onion & Coconut Chutneys." To say that the dosa was enormous is quite the understatement! At $7.99, this is a great deal to split with a loved one; even the heartiest appetite couldn't finish it alone. The crepe is stuffed, adding to its substance; and it is also served with the Sambhar sauce, in addition to the listed chutneys.

My other choice was the Samosas, two for $2.49: "Deep Fried Pastry stuffed with Potatoes & Peas." These are very large - the size of a tennis ball - and generously filled. The samosas are expertly fried, very crisp but not at all greasy. You'll want to share, because they're so good; but you'll also be tempted to savor them both yourself, for the very same reason.

There are lots of dishes that cost $5 or less as a whole, as well as others that are easily split to come in under our $5 per person budget. Many, many dishes are vegetarian; those that aren't are made with Halal chicken. Snacks, such as pappadam are available; and you can also find substantial items like wraps and sandwiches, as well as beverages and entrees.

Ingrid and I had enjoyed our meal immensely, so leftovers were fairly scarce. But we did have a lot of the sauces left, which I hated to waste. I asked if I could have small take-out containers for them, so that I could put them to good use at home. Whereas I was once - at a different restaurant - treated as a bit of a kook for this behavior, the staff at Curry Up was more than happy to help me pack things up. (See this coming Wednesday's AnnArbor.com post for the chickpea dish I made with the Sambhar sauce.)

Curry Up is a most welcome addition to the Plymouth Road corridor, offering great food, friendly service, and excellent prices!


Curry Up
2711 Plymouth Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
734-418-3175



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Raja Rani for Mother's Day

Jeremy gave me a lovely present for Mother's Day: he joined me at an Indian restaurant for lunch.

Now, let me give you the history, to understand the magnitude of this gift.  Jeremy and I have a deal when we take turns picking where to eat: he won't make me go to White Castle, and I won't make him go to Indian restaurants.  Although Jeremy has eaten and liked a fair amount of Indian food, he holds a grudge against it; it's often too spicy for him, and buffets rarely identify what the offerings are so there's no clue what you might be eating.

But he was lured in on Mother's Day.

As we walked downtown past Raja Rani, Ann Arbor's oldest Indian restaurant with a famous lunch buffet, I thought, "Oh, man, that smells so good!"  I didn't say it, though; I'm a woman of my word, and I wasn't going to violate our long-standing agreement.

But then Jeremy said, "What do you think about having Indian food for lunch?"  Gasp!  Bestill my heart!  He said, "That smells really good!"  I told him that I wasn't going to pass up this momentous millisecond, and we immediately turned around to partake of a fabulous meal.

First and foremost, virtually everything at the buffet was not only labelled with a name, but there was also a brief description; so one could readily know, for example, that the Malayee Kofta were "cheese and vegetable balls in creamy sauce" and that the Navrattan Korma was a dish offering "nine vegetables with yogurt sauce."  Tandoori chicken, with its gorgeous red tinge, and breads hardly needed labels.

So, needless to say, I filled my plates (first helping shown above, the second was a bit more sparse) with a bit of everything: spinach with homemade paneer, potatoes, chicken, eggplant, dumplings, vegetable fritters, and all sorts of wonderful foods.  Nothing was particularly spicy, which was perfect for Jeremy; he enjoyed naan, rice, and several varieties of chicken, along with one of his favorite drinks - mango juice.

Beyond the generosity of spirit shown in granting me an amazing Indian feast for Mother's Day, Jeremy also had another shining moment that day: he ate goat.

Curried Goat, in a spiced tomato cream sauce, was on the buffet table.  And Jeremy, a braver man than I am, tried it first.  In fact, he couldn't believe a good eater like lil' ol' moi wouldn't have immediately leapt at it.  But whereas Jeremy wants his food identified for him, I do better if I don't know what's on my fork and headed for my mouth, so that I have no preconceived notions.  Not that there's anything wrong with goat - it's not like eating pussycat or something!  It's just not a staple in this country, or in my household, so I started with all my favorites - which were in plentiful abundance - before trying the less familiar offering.

But Jeremy went right for it: "I saw goat, I had to try it."  At first he thought it was "unique," but after a few moments he decided that "The goat is delicious!"  So I took a taste, and thought it was okay; it wasn't lamb-like at all, as I'd expected it to be.  I would eat it again if it were offered, but I decided that sweets were more enticing.

For dessert, there was rice pudding with just a hint of spice in a thin cream, and there was gulab jamun - tender fried balls of dough in a sweet, scented syrup.  If I hadn't already indulged to such a degree, I could easily have eaten several helpings of these lovely little treats.  And the syrup was really good when mixed with the rice pudding, too.

So my Mother's Day gift consisted not only of food, but of my very sweet son making a generous concession to join me in one of my very favorite cuisines ... and he enjoyed himself!  He loved it!  What more could I ask for?

Frugal Floozie Friday -- Earthen Jar

It's Frugal Floozie Friday, and today we're indulging in one of my very favorite cuisines: Indian. I adore Indian food, cook it often, and even have a friend - Sid, who first contacted me as an AnnArbor.com reader - who regularly tempts me by sending videos featuring Indian recipes.

So in looking for a restaurant to feature today, it was easy to decide upon one: Earthen Jar.

Earthen Jar's mostly vegan Indian buffet costs a mere $5.99 per pound. The problem, however, lies in trying to exhibit restraint - everything looks and smells amazing, and you'll find yourself wanting to try each offering. Except that then, of course, you'll end up paying $23 for your dinner! So a little of this, a little of that ... and the secret weapon: bring a friend, so you can each select different items and then share the wealth.

Tom and I recently ate dinner at this small but colorful restaurant, and I was completely seduced by all the fragrant and fabulous foods. There was an astounding variety of different lentil dishes, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, spinach, potatoes, paneer, salads; some of these were spicy, others were milder, but each had a unique and wonderful flavor.

Earthen Jar's menu is primarily vegan, including macaroni and cheese (I guess to keep the kids or picky eaters happy?); but there are a very few dairy products, such as a yogurt-based raita and the paneer which is in a couple of the dishes. There are also desserts (puddings and halwa), which we didn't get to after our immensely delicious dinner indulgence.

A few extra items are available at a charge beyond that of the buffet, such as baked goods, beverages and traditional Indian breads. Tom and I ordered naan for 99-cents each; but interestingly, without the bread, we had portioned out the food on our plates for a perfect and identical total of $5 each - the Frugal Floozie Friday budget per person.

Unfortunately, Earthen Jar is right next to Jerusalem Garden, the Middle Eastern restaurant that was featured in a recent Frugal Floozie Friday post; therefore, it is suffering the same misery of being located right in the midst of the enormous and seemingly endless project to construct an underground parking structure downtown. There is a sign saying that the two restaurants on that block are still open; but with parking non-existent and the street blocked off, it's not a particularly enticing location.

So go feast upon Indian food at a restaurant which blissfully lets you try a bit of each item rather than having to only pick one dish - the joy of a buffet! And help to keep Earthen Jar open through the construction quagmire, as it is truly a fabulous asset to Ann Arbor.

Earthen Jar
311 S. Fifth Avenue
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
734-327-9464


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Frugal Floozie Friday: Food and Fun for Five Dollars or Less ... Really!!!

Quick Curried Chicken with Spinach

I've been craving Indian food, a protein other than eggs or cheese, and an opportunity to just cook without having to follow any rules or accommodate any dietary quirks or restrictions. I've been feeling a tad confined in the kitchen lately, by a variety of scenarios.

So when I went to visit Tom recently, he very sweetly said I could make whatever I wanted to for dinner. And since he had some chicken and some spinach to finish off, in addition to my having -- seriously! -- an entire freezer door full of spices, we settled on an easy but immensely flavorful favorite: curried chicken.

This doesn't take very long to cook at all, but the house smells amazing while you're stirring! Truly, it is utterly tantalizing -- the cooking time is short, but it will feel nearly endless as you are tempted by the Siren song of the aromas ....

Curried Chicken with Spinach

2 tablespoons oil
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1" pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 ounces coconut milk
2 cups baby spinach leaves
rice and/or naan, for serving

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, 'til lightly browned. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent.

Sprinkle the curry powder, garam masala and sea salt over the chicken; stir. Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a boil; lower heat to medium, stirring frequently to coat the chicken with the thickening sauce and to mix the spices into the sauce.


Add the spinach and cook just until it's starting to wilt.

Serve over rice, with naan, or both!

Spice Girl

I think we all know how much I love Indian food; if you're new here and didn't realize it, let me assure you that this is one of the constants in the universe.

I've eaten at virtually every Indian restaurant in Ann Arbor, and have an assortment of spices -- Fenugreek, Cumin, Garam Masala, Saffron, Cardamom -- which help when I have a craving and need to cook something fabulous and fragrant.

And this was precisely the scenario one morning last week, when I could hear the Siren song of Indian food but would have no opportunity to go out at lunchtime and find some. I had no convenience items in the freezer and no leftovers from dinners out. It was up to me to save myself.

And so, I started to saute ... and I opened a couple of cans ... and I stirred and I simmered ... and voila! A quick and easy meal that smelled amazing as it cooked and as it reheated, and which was absolutely delicious with just enough "oomph" from the spices without burning my tongue.

Good thing I'm pretty limber, as I pat myself on the back for this one ... :)

Curried Chickpeas and Tomatoes

2 cups + 1/4 cup water
1 cup jasmine rice
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 small red onion, quartered, sliced
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can chili-ready diced tomatoes

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan; add rice, cover, lower heat to "simmer." Cook for 20 minutes without peeking.

Once the saucepan with the rice is covered and simmering away .... In a 10" skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add red pepper flakes, salt, garam masala, curry powder, and cumin seed; saute for 1 minute. Add onion and stir to coat with spices; cook for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Add chickpeas.


Stir to combine, then cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes.


Bring to a boil, turn heat to "medium-low," and cover the skillet. Let this mixture cook while the rice cooks.

Place the rice onto a serving platter and top with the chickpea-tomato mixture. Serve with naan or roti, or just "as is."

Serves 4-6.

Wordless Wednesday -- Authentic Indian Cuisine

The Siren Song of Shalimar

I think everyone knows by now that I absolutely ADORE Indian food! So when Tom suggested last week that we should enjoy a dinner at Shalimar, where we'd had dinner on our first date, I happily agreed. Deciding where to eat is often very easy; deciding what to eat ... well, that's where the brain paralysis comes in.

And considering the depth of Shalimar's menu, it's a good thing that Tom had an idea of what he wanted. He loves naan -- loves all breads! -- so ordering the Assorted Bread Basket made life simpler. This came with a plain naan, a naan stuffed with garlic and herbs, and a bread stuffed with sauteed onions which was far and away the best one in a stellar selection ... quite the compliment! There was also a naan with onion and mint which was fragrant and delicious, without a heavy mintiness that would have been prohibitive. Man actually could live on bread alone, if these were the breads!

But there were entrees to be relished, from their alluring aromas to their captivating colors to their fabulous flavors.

Tom had eaten a chicken and spinach dish in the past, and we had tried to order that very one when we first ate there together in December. We'd picked the wrong dish back then, though what we ate was delicious! But this night we got the right one -- Murgh Saagwala: "boneless chicken cooked with fresh Spinach, herbs and spices" -- and it truly was extraordinary. The chicken was unbelievably, lusciously tender; the spinach was perfectly spiced; the dish was moist without being soggy. It was exceptional even beyond my admitted ability to enthuse and effuse!

But wait -- there's more. Being good eaters and feeling celebratory after getting back together again after our 6-week break, we indulged ourselves and also ordered the Dumm Aloo -- "whole baby potatoes cooked with yogurt, tomato, fennel seeds, ginger, garlic and spices." The potatoes were cooked to just the right moment of being tender throughout while retaining their shape and not becoming mushy. The sauce was rich, a warm and gorgeous and seductive color, and exceptionally balanced with none of the spices or flavors overpowering any of the others. This made an unbelievably delicious dinner, as well as an exceptional lunch when Tom surprised me at work the next day by bringing me some with rice and naan ... just one of many reasons that I love him ... :)

Here's to many more divine meals at Shalimar! There's a vast menu awaiting us ....

The Saga of the Indian Cooking Challenge

Anyone who knows me knows that I adore Indian food. I'll eat it at restaurants both sophisticated and casual, I'll buy it from street vendors at the Art Fair and ready-to-heat from markets, and I'll cook it myself. So when I was meandering around the 'net and found the Indian Cooking Challenge … well, I was ready to sign up before I even knew the rules!

And the rules are simple: a woman named Srivalli picks a recipe each month; those of us who've accepted the mission prepare the recipe, and then we write about it. And we eat! Does it get any better than this???

This month's recipe was for Ras Malai, a dessert made from the very mild white cheese paneer that is then cooked in a sugar syrup and also immersed in a cardamom-scented custard. Rich, decadent, luscious ... and an educational experience, 'cause I didn't even know what it was until I looked it up.

So, my first job was to print the recipe and review my ingredients and instructions. Ummmm … “pista” … “maida flour” … huh??? “Pista,” as I'd guessed, was pistachios. “Maida flour,” research showed, is equivalent to pastry flour or even all-purpose flour, as opposed to “atta” which is whole wheat flour. I learned something – I love this!

Okay, now that I know what I'm cooking with and what my ultimate goal is, what do I need to do? The recipe has assured me that “thou it may sound a long process, you can trust and try for a perfect outcome … it wont let you down.” And a long process it seems – a 3-page recipe. So I continued to investigate, finding a much shorter version to help guide me a little better; this version also showed a photo of the dessert, so that I had a better idea of where I was headed.

I debated whether I should make the paneer myself, which seemed a simple process (boil milk, add vinegar, skim curds, press out moisture, declare oneself a cheesemaker!), or whether to take advantage of the ready-to-use offerings at the Om Market. Well, if you're going to sign up for a challenge, you should actually take the challenge, right? Tom and Jeremy both encouraged me to do it right, so I embarked upon my adventure.

I brought whole milk to a boil, left it overnight in the refrigerator to chill, and then came back to it the next morning. My instructions were to skim the scum from the surface of the milk … um, but there wasn't any. Oh, great – I've screwed up boiling milk!

But I continued with the recipe, pouring everything back into the saucepan and bringing it to a boil. Oh, there's little dancing zigzags on the surface – there's the scum! I scooped up that little bit (it was a very, very thin film) and discarded it.


When the milk came to a full boil – and just before it boiled over onto the stove – I added the vinegar. It stared back at me, then curdled, then there were clumps of stuff on top of the milk – paneer!


I scooped them up, placed the clumps into a cloth-lined sieve, rinsed them with clear water, tied the lot up, and placed saved-up coffee grounds (supposedly excellent nutrients for my soon-to-be garden) over everything to weigh it down and help to press out excess liquid.






And I saved the whey water, which should get sour over the course of a week and be useful when/if I make bread sometime in the future (according to the recipe's side note).


The next couple of days were very busy, so I left my paneer in the refrigerator to rest until it would be needed … and kneaded (ha!).


I wasn't particularly inclined to purchase a bag of maida flour only to use 1 teaspoon of it, especially when I had a 10-pound bag of all-purpose flour sitting in my cupboard. So I employed a strategic substitution, and broke up the paneer before kneading it with the ordinary flour and forming the little balls of cheese (about 1” in diameter).




The next instruction was to place the balls into a sugar syrup in a pressure cooker. Um ... no. I do not own a pressure cooker, and will not own a pressure cooker -- it doesn't matter to me how many billions of people around the planet use them, or how many modern advances have been made to improve their safety record. My mother has spent my entire lifetime telling me the story from her days in a Catholic boarding school, in which a pressure cooker exploded and inflicted horrible burns upon the face of one of the nuns. Back to the short version of the recipe that I found online, to see how to do this with everyday cookware.

Okay, boil a sugar syrup on the stovetop and let the cheese balls cook for 15 minutes until they expand – can do. Meanwhile, boil more milk with sugar to make a custard that the cooked paneer will then soak in. The milk kept boiling over, but eventually reduced by half; and it smelled fabulous once the tiny bit of cardamom was added!




So the balls of paneer expanded as they were supposed to, and then I placed them into the custard and put everything into the refrigerator to chill. Jeremy and I anxiously waited for the required 6 hours to pass so that we could sample this most entertaining, educational and excellent project.


I served one little ball for each of us (which, I have to say with an amused smirk, significantly resembled both matzah balls and gefilte fish!), pouring the sweetened milk (it didn't thicken into a custard) over it. I sprinkled everything with chopped pistachios. It looked just as the photo had depicted it in the shorter version I'd found online, and it smelled lovely. Sing along with Carly Simon now: “Anticipation …!”

And then we tasted it … and, I am terribly sorry to say, spat it right out. They were truly awful, with no discernible flavor and a very firm and odd consistency that wasn't quite as enticing as we'd hoped for, having presumed there might be some resemblance to other sweetened cheeses (i.e.: blintzes, cheesecake, cannoli). There was not enough thickening agent to make a custard, and not enough sweetener – or even a pinch of salt – to provide flavor to the very bland paneer. These turned out to be simply thick white rubbery balls swimming in fragrant milk … :( I normally adore Indian desserts, so I cannot tell you how heartbroken I am!!!

But I will absolutely still save the whey water for future baking endeavors. I learned a lot about Indian desserts, cooking processes, and ingredients as I proceeded. I am very proud to say that I can now make my own paneer for future projects! And I will absolutely still try the next Indian Cooking Challenge, hoping that perhaps we will be able to enjoy the food as much as we enjoy the preparation.



Here is my version of the recipe, re-written for simplicity and to demonstrate how I made it:

Ras Malai

Paneer:
2 quarts whole milk
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups cold water

Bring milk just to a boil in a 2.5-quart saucepan over high heat. Refrigerate overnight.

Place a strainer over a bowl, and line the strainer with cheesecloth or a clean dishtowel. Heat the milk until it reaches a full boil, then add the vinegar. When the clumps of curds start rising to the top, scoop them out and place them into the lined strainer. Tie up the cloth, weight it down, and let it rest for an hour. Strain the miniscule tidbits out of the remaining whey water, and save the water for future use.

Paneer Balls:
your homemade paneer
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

Place the paneer and the flour into a large bowl, breaking up the paneer and kneading everything together until well blended. Form 1” balls – I was able to make 14 of them.

Sugar Syrup:
3 cups water
8 tablespoons sugar

Place water and sugar into a large, deep-sided pan. Bring to a boil, then carefully add the paneer balls. Partially cover the pan, and boil for 7 minutes; turn the balls over and boil for another 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Sweetened Milk:
1 quart whole milk
8 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cardamom

Bring the milk and the sugar to a full boil in a 3-quart saucepan; cook over high heat until milk volume is reduced by half. Carefully place the cooked paneer balls into the milk, and boil for 5 minutes. Place into the refrigerator for 6 hours, to chill.

To Serve:
1/4 cup finely chopped pistachios

Place several paneer balls into a serving dish, pour sweetened milk over them, and sprinkle with some of the pistachios.

NOTE: The Indian Cooking Challenge asks that everyone post the recipe on the 15th of the month. But I won't be able to do that, so I am posting early, obviously!

NOTE #2: Apparently I posted too early, misunderstanding "scheduling" it early to go up on the 15th vs. posting it early as soon as I'd finished writing it. However, now that it's up all I can do is change the visible date, but I cannot bury the saga until the appropriate viewing time ... sorry!!!