Laxmi's Delights

Category: News

  • My Mother’s Heirloom Whole Pickled Limes

    My Mother’s Heirloom Whole Pickled Limes

    I am hosting a get together this weekend. I like to pay attention to every detail. I think, it’s really the small things that make a big difference. Take pickles, for instance, they can enhance and glorify a meal. At my local farmers market I came across an abundant of luscious, plump limes. Walla! All I could think of was my mother’s whole lime pickles. My mouth started watering looking at the plump bright green limes.

    If you think pickles are something only your grandmother would make and that they’re hard to prepare, then this recipe (I’m sure even my grandmothers would’ve agreed) will prove otherwise. Pickle is the soul of the Indian kitchen and, when it’s lovingly handmade, and passed from generation to generation like family heirlooms it is a perfect gift to the culinary world.

    This oil-free, easy and straightforward preparation is my mother’s 50-year-old recipe I’d like to share that with you. She makes it every year in summer for family, friends and neighbors. Preparation of pickles used to be an elaborate process involving a lot of attention. I can recollect mother plucked 500 plump juicy limes, right from her organic garden and carefully screened each one. Then they were meticulously rinsed and wiped with linen. Earthenware crocks of approximately 5-gallon capacity were cleaned and sun-dried. Plump, fragrant spices were hand picked and dried in sun. The choice of chile powder (cayenne) was very important. It was always freshly pounded and mother went a step further with her innovative mind, she mixed three to four different varieties of dried chiles to achieve a deep ruby-red color so the finished pickle attained a beautiful hue. The pickling process was carried out only on a bright sunny day to avoid moisture from the atmosphere. The care and love that went into the preparation was worth the time and effort. Mother made beautiful little baskets with bowls of fresh homemade pickles to all our friends, relatives and neighbors. Although I make these here in late summer when limes are large and juicy, each time I visit India I still get enormous refills of my mother’s handmade pickles.

    These are lovely with vegetarian as well as fish and meat dishes.

    • 2 pounds (10 large) limes
    • 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • ½ tablespoon mustard seeds
    • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
    • ¼ cup sugar
    • 1/8 cup cayenne
    • ¼ cup salt

    1. Wash the limes and wipe dry with a kitchen towel. Slit each lime crosswise into fourths leaving ½-inch uncut at one end (similar to the ‘X’ you make while blanching the tomato, this should be a deeper ‘X’). Place in a large mixing bowl. You don’t have to remove the seeds leave them in for a rustic appeal.

    2. Combine the fenugreek, cumin and mustard seeds in a small dry frying pan. Toast over moderate heat until aromatic and mustard seeds start to pop, shaking the pan frequently, about 5 minutes. Cool and transfer to a spice grinder or coffee mill and grind to a fine powder. Dump into a small bowl. Add the turmeric into the same frying pan and warm it on low heat for 1 minute. Add to the bowl. Stir in the sugar, cayenne and salt. Mix thoroughly. Gently spread the cuts open of each lime and sprinkle the spice mix between the slits. Place limes into a crock. Cover with lid and store in a cool dry place. Let the pickle cure for 3 to 4 days before serving. Occasionally give a shake, so the bottom pickles come at the top and the top ones move to the bottom. Shake the crock a couple times for about 4 to 5 days. Refrigerate after a week. (To be on the safe side I recommend refrigeration).

    Makes about 3 cups

    Variation – Chile-Lime Pickles

    If you prefer, using gloves, slit 10 to 15 long slender fresh hot green chiles do not stem, (be sure to use the gloves), sprinkle some of the pickling spice mix into the slits and toss into the crock.

  • Fresh Mixed Veggie-Yogurt Spread at Sprouts Cooking Club

    Fresh Mixed Veggie-Yogurt Spread at Sprouts Cooking Club

    Last week, I had the pleasure to teach children at the Sprouts Cooking Club in Berkeley. I believe they were between the ages of 5 to 14 years. The class was full with 18 children. Several adult volunteers supervised the kids. The class was held at the Whole Foods parking lot under a cozy tent. The Whole Foods Market supplied the ingredients for the class.

    I was so impressed by the young children’s enthusiasm and participation. They were well organized with their cutting board, mixing bowl, small pots and knife. They cut the vegetables with great interest (of course, under adult supervision), so finely and in uniform pieces they would put us professionals to shame. I was told some of them were very good at mincing, dicing, and cubing. Best of all, they were proficient at rolling leafy green or herbs and chopping into delicate strips referred to as chiffonade. As they assembled the following mixed vegetable spread, we passed along slices of crusty bread. The little kids were even happy to enjoy it as a cool crunchy salad in small cups by itself. It was nice to see the youngsters enjoying wholesome mother earth’s bounty.

    Use this light and easy mixed vegetable concoction as a dip or spread on crusty bread to make vegetarian sandwiches. You can also serve as a side dish salad for lunch.

    • 2 large tomatoes
    • 2 medium cucumbers, such as English, pickling (about 10) or regular
    • 1 bunch red radishes
    • 1 small white, red or yellow onion
    • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
    • 4 cups plain yogurt
    • 2 teaspoons or to taste salt
    • 1 tablespoon sugar

    Core the tomatoes, chop finely and transfer to a large bowl. Peel and seed the cucumber; chop in half inch pieces and transfer to the bowl. Finely slice the radishes then stack and julienne the slices; transfer to the bowl. Peel and quarter the onion and slice thinly lengthwise; add to the bowl. Sprinkle with the cilantro.

    Just before serving, in a bowl, combine the yogurt, salt and sugar. Beat with a fork until smooth. Fold into the prepared vegetables.

    Serves 6 to 8 as an accompaniment or use as a vegetarian sandwich spread.

  • Check out the video on The View from the Bay

    Check out the video on The View from the Bay

  • Appearing on TV ABC 7’s “The View From The Bay”

    Appearing on TV ABC 7’s “The View From The Bay”

     

    Please join me on TV ABC 7’s “The View From The Bay,” on Monday May 24th. I am going to cook Chicken Breasts in Korma Sauce, from my cookbook, “The Dance of Spices.”

    I would like to extend a special invitation to participate in live studio audience for FREE. Audience members have the chance to Meet Spencer Christian and Janelle Wang and see the behind the scenes of a live television broadcast. Tickets for the show are FREE but must be reserved in advance. Audience doors open at 2:15pm with a cut-off time of 2:30pm, the show is live from 3-4pm.

    To reserve your seats please call the ticket request line at (415)-954-7733 or visit www.viewfromthebay.com and click on “be in our audience” and fill out a ticket request form. Or click on the link below to go to online ticket request form. Simply fill out your information and press submit.

    http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/feature?section=view_from_the_bay&id=6337461

    Please be sure to note under “comments” the name of the guest to be on the show if you are requesting a specific date to support someone.

    During one of my book signings and presentations at William Sonoma in San Francisco I prepared the chicken korma recipe it turned out to be a great hit.

  • Those Magnificent Marvelous Green Mangoes

    Those Magnificent Marvelous Green Mangoes

    Green MangosI just got back from my travels to India. I was fortunate to be there during the mango season. I had the privilege of eating green mangoes straight from my mother’s organic garden. My mother had planted two three-year-old mango saplings when I was about the same age.

    Now the mango trees are big and spreading, full of luscious bright fruits. Its changing foliage, mass of budding feathery blossoms and hanging fruits present a spectacular view. The cool trees are an abode for tropical parrots and parakeets. The full-grown mature tree produces 400-600 mangoes at a time. Green mangoes start to appear in early April on Indian subcontinent. Some branches were so heavy with fruits that they almost touched the ground. Every time I went shopping I would cut a green mango into slices and take it in ziplock bag, my valuable vitamin C in the sweltering tropical heat. There was something gratifying about cutting down a stalk of green mango and chopping the fruit into small pieces. During leisure I would dip the pieces in a mound of salt and enjoy.

    In India the green mangoes are not only used in pickles but utilized like a vegetable as well. It is really white inside, appearing more like daikon, jicama, or green papaya than mango. Its juicy tart flavor is a natural bonus to an imaginative cook. India is the abode to hundreds of varieties of magnificent marvelous mangoes. There is a surprising selection of just green pickling mangoes that vary in tartness, shape and size—literally from, 1-inch to 12-inches in length.

    Image0059The mango tree is very much a part of Indian customs. It has an honored place in cultural and religious observances. Its slender pointed leaves, the branches and blossoms are used for various purposes. The leaves are skillfully arranged to decorate the thresholds and doors during feasts and in marriage banquets. The farmers have a special place for the mango tree since it signifies richness. A special spot is reserved for the mango tree in the field, it provides shade and a place to relax. Some dip the flat mango pit in ghee (clarified butter) and honey before planting the seed so it grows into a healthy tree. The young growing plant is then anointed with milk so there is a harvest of sweet fruits.

    The green mango is not only nutritious but is cultivated since ancient times for various medicinal properties found in the leaves and bark of the tree. The raw mango is a vital flavoring part and cooked like a vegetable in curries, stews and salads. It is used in making chutneys, pickles, preserves and sherbets. Sliced and sun-dried, it is ground into fine powder to make the mango powder. Both the dried slices and powder are used as souring agent in curries, meat dishes, soups, and in preparation of tangy spice blends.

    Buy an actual ‘green’ mango in the following recipe. The fruit it is quiet hard and nearly impossible to puncture with a fingernail, available in Indian, specialty and some supermarkets. Usually they are placed separate from the ripe ones and labeled ‘green mango’. Your grocer can probably find a very green mango from his stock, if you ask.

    Warm Garbanzo Beans and Green Mango Salad

    Here, I have paired the green mango with bland garbanzo beans and contrasting sweet coconut. The result is—warm, inviting salad with a wonderful hint of tangy taste. Try this vegetarian spring salad for light lunch or as an appetizer for dinner. If you have leftover cooked chicken or lamb in your refrigerator, by all means use in this salad.

    I make this salad so many times and forget to take a photo of the dish, I will take the picture next time and share it. In the meantime, enjoy the easy salad.

    • 1 medium green mango, unpeeled
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • ½ teaspoon brown or yellow mustard seeds
    • 2 dried red chiles, such as cayennes or chiles de arbol, stemmed, and broken into rough pieces
    • 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (freshly cooked or canned, drained)
    • 2 tablespoons grated fresh or defrosted frozen coconut
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 small avocado

    Wash and wipe the mango thoroughly. Peel the mango with a vegetable peeler. Using a hand grater (the fine holes of a hand grater result in a fine, fluffy texture) grate the mango, about half inch on all sides, then grate remaining fruit carefully, avoiding the large flat pit. Measure 1 cup and set aside.

    Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds; immediately cover with a spatter screen, and cook until the seeds stop popping, about 30 seconds. Toss in the chiles. Cook few seconds until crisp and lightly browned in spots. Add the mango, garbanzo beans, coconut and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 5 to 6 minutes.

    Mound the salad in the center of a decorative deep dish. Peel, pit, and dice avocado, and sprinkle over top of the salad and serve right away. Serves 4 to 6 as an accompaniment

     

     

  • Gulfood Awards 2010

    Gulfood Awards 2010

    GINGER_JAR I am happy to share our product, Organic Lemony Flaxseed Spread with Ginger and Honey was selected finalist in the New Functional Food and Beverage category at the Gulfood Awards Gala in Dubai recently.

  • Valentine’s Crab Curry for 2

    Valentine’s Crab Curry for 2

    Serve with warm naan or a crusty bread of your choice, or on a bed of fragrant jasmine rice.

    • 2 to 3 dried red chiles, stemmed and broken into pieces
    • 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
    • 4 garlic cloves
    • 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger
    • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
    • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 crab (about 2 pounds), cleaned and cracked
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 2 teaspoons sugar
    • 2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves

    Soak the chiles in the vinegar for 15 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger to the chiles and, using a blender or food processor, blend into a paste. Scrape the mixture into a small bowl.

    Add the cumin, coriander and cinnamon to the mixture; mix thoroughly. Add the crab pieces and stir to coat them well. Cover and refrigerate for from 30 minutes to 1 hour.

    Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the crab and brown on all sides. Add the salt, water and sugar to the pan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the crab is cooked through and the flavors have blended. Garnish with cilantro.

    Serves 2.

  • Fancy Food Show in San Francisco

    Fancy Food Show in San Francisco

    Recipient of NASFT Outstanding New Product Award

    Good morning everyone!

    Please visit us at the Fancy Food Show booth number 608 in San Francisco at the Moscone Center January 17 to 19, and come by for a taste of New, Organic Flaxseed Spread with Tropical Mango. My boutique company Laxmi’s DelightsTM, is the recipient of Outstanding New Product by the NASFT sofi award standing for “Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation,” the specialty food industry’s most prestigious award competition.

  • Fudge Balls in Rose-Perfumed Syrup (Gulab Jamun)

    Fudge Balls in Rose-Perfumed Syrup (Gulab Jamun)

    The ability to make this dish is one of the hallmarks of a good Indian cook, and when I first came to America I naturally wanted to continue to make it for my family. But one of the key ingredients, khawa (condensed milk), was hard to obtain, and making my own was too time-consuming. So I tried various recipes including instant baking mix, trying to recreate the texture and flavor I remembered. Carnation, dry milk turned out to be the best substitute. And while I am usually not a fan of vegetable shortening, it makes fudge balls that are even fluffier and moister than the original. Serve them at room temperature with the syrup spooned over the balls. Makes a perfect ending for a special family meal.

    Syrup
    • 1-1/2 cups sugar
    • 2-1/2 cups water
    • Seeds from 4 green cardamom pods, crushed
    • 2 teaspoons rose water

    Combine the sugar and water in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to reduce the volume slightly. Turn off the heat and stir in the cardamom and rose water.

    Fudge Balls
    • 2 cups nonfat Carnation dry milk
    • 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/2 cup melted vegetable shortening
    • 1/2 cup whole or low-fat milk
    • 1 tablespoon water
    • Mild vegetable oil for frying

    Combine the dry milk, flour, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Gradually pour in the melted shortening. Mix until crumbly. Add the milk and water and knead into smooth pliable dough. To make the dough in the food processor: Combine the dry ingredients and shortening in the work bowl and process until crumbly, about 30 seconds. With the machine running, gradually add the milk and water in a steady stream through the feed tube. Process until the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl. Form the dough into a smooth ball. Set aside.

    Fill a wok or skillet with oil to a depth of 2 to 2-1/2 inches and heat to 225-250 degrees F (or set on medium heat). Pinch off portions of dough and roll between your hands into smooth balls about 1 inch in diameter. Slip about 8 to 10 balls carefully into the hot oil; after about 30 seconds, stir them gently so they brown evenly (do not stir them immediately or they may break). Fry until golden brown all over, 4 to 5 minutes in all. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain briefly over the oil, and add to the sugar syrup. (If the dough starts to crumble or develop cracks while you are making balls, return it to the food processor or the bowl and mix again with 1 tablespoon water to restore the consistency.) Cool completely, cover and let the fudge balls soak for at least 3 hours before serving. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

    Makes 35 medium fudge balls (10 to 12 servings).

  • Laxmi’s DelightsTM supports Breast Cancer Awareness

    Laxmi’s DelightsTM supports Breast Cancer Awareness

    Laxmi's Delights supports breast cancer researchPlease check out Laxmi’s Delightstm organic flaxseed spreads and sweet spiced roasted nuts on Foodoro.com. You’ll notice that our products are featured on the specialty shop http://breastcancerawareness.foodoro.com to support Breast Cancer Awareness!

    Support Breast Cancer Awareness: 20% of sales will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure!

    Thank you for participating and supporting such a great cause.

    Cheers!