Cooking in India - Chicken Keema Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

My first recipe in a long while!  And clearly, this is not soup.  Since my personal circumstances have changed so drastically (moved to India, set up a new - spartan - home, got pregnant, etc.), I'm going to propose a slight shift in focus.  Food will still be our topic, yet what I'm hoping to do now is gain an arsenal of recipes that I can make given the different ingredients, equipment, climate (and, I suppose, nutritional requirements) with which I am now faced.  And I'd like your help, Mom, Ellen, Nathaniel, and anyone else who might be reading!

My cute little oven.  It's rather unusual to have
an over at all, so I need to make sure to use it! 

In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I don't have to rely solely on myself for food any longer.  As is customary here, we have an amazing housekeeper who, among other things, cooks us delicious Indian food a few times a week.  She has befriended the vegetable wala down the road and brings back produce that is so much nicer (and cheaper) than I can manage to find myself.  She's charming and pretty and always gets some free things thrown in, too.  It's definitely odd to have someone else working in my home, doing things I am accustomed to doing myself, but it's also nice to have someone to eat lunch with and who knows the ropes here.

All of that being said - I'm physically unable to eat Indian food every day, and I'm also trying hard to eat in a way that wouldn't overly upset an obstetrician.  My current mission is to increase my iron, dairy, and protein intake, as I'm almost halfway along in my pregnancy(!) and one's daily requirements of all three increase considerably in the second trimester.  I'm not accustomed to either cooking or eating much meat, and obviously beef isn't readily available here.  I do, fortunately, live right across the road from a decent butcher, and chicken is abundantly available.  Unfortunately, chicken is one of the few things I've consistently despised over the last four months.

I have discovered, however, that eating it ground - or minced (keema), as they say here - is tolerable.  I looked up a variety of chicken meatball recipes online, shrugged off what I was unable to procure, and created my own recipe based on
those things I have in my kitchen.  My mother suggested I start adding citrus to my leafy greens so as to better absorb the iron, and once I added a lemon (or is it a lime? all we have here are pale greenish yellow fruits about the size of a key lime, and people use the terms interchangeably) I decided to go for a slightly Greek twist, so added oregano and made a yogurt sauce for the side.

I rather liked the results, and thought it would be a good idea to write the recipe down.  And then I started thinking that, given that I'll likely find myself eating ground chicken on a very regular basis, I'd love some inspiration from you.  So instead of us all making variations on a particular soup, maybe you could send in some poultry meatball inspiration?

Chicken Keema Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

For meatballs:

1 pound ground chicken
1.5 cups chopped and cooked spinach
1 small onion
1 egg
juice of 1 small lemon or lime
crushed crackers
garlic salt
oregano
crushed red pepper flakes
black pepper

For yogurt sauce:

1 cup Greek yogurt
torn mint leaves
lime juice to taste
salt (I used paprika salt)

Put all the meatball ingredients in a bowl and stir well to combine.  Brush olive oil on baking dish, form meatballs to desired size with hands, and nestle as many as you can next to each other in the baking dish.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until brown on top and cooked all the way through, at about 400 degrees.

(Note: I baked most of these and pan-fried what I had in excess.  The baked ones are much better - moister and I think more aromatic.)

As the meatballs cook, combine the ingredients for the yogurt sauce and refrigerate.

When all is ready, spoon some sauce over the meatballs, enjoy... and feel the iron pumping through your veins!

Spring Onion Soup with Fennel and Parmesan

Since none of us wanted to make lettuce soup, I'm submitting this recipe as a more appealing springtime alternative.  It is from The New England Kitchen by Jeremy Sewall and Erin Byers Murray, a beautiful book that I still haven't cooked anything out of.  This soup looks fussy but intriguing, and I'm willing to give it a try.

6 slices prosciutto (optional)
2 bunches spring onions (about 6 onions)
1 fennel bulb, top removed
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 small Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cup vegetable stock
3 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese plus a rind
1 cup heavy cream
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 fresh bay leaf
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  If using the first ingredient, line a baking sheet and lay the prosciutto on it, then cover with a piece of parchment.  Place a second dish of some sort on top to keep the prosciutto from curling.  Bake for 4 to 6 minutes, until crips.  Let cool, then remove each piece with a spatula.

Cut the spring onions into rounds up to the dark green part.  Cut the fennel in half, remove the core, then cut fennel into 1-inch pieces.

Heat oil in a large saucepan.  Stir in fennel, onion, and potato, and cook until the vegetables become translucent.  Add the stock and Parmesan rind and simmer gently for 5 minutes.  Add cream, thyme, and bay leaf.  Continue to simmer for 15 more minutes.  Remove from heat.

Puree the soup until smooth, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve and return to saucepan.  Just before serving, bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and whisk in all but 2 tablespoons of the grated cheese.  Season with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Allow the soup to sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk again to ensure the cheese is fully melted and incorporated.

Serve with soup with prosciutto garnishes and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

LETTUCE SOUP (because it's spring!)

From The Whole World Cookbook edited by Jacqueline Killeen, 1979
Serves six
3 c. shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
1 qt. beef stock
1 c. chopped watercress
1/3 c. minced onion
2 T. minced green pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T. minced fresh parsley
1 t. minced fresh tarragon
3 T. butter
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. white pepper
1/8 t. grated nutmeg
2 T.  white rice (optional)
1 c. half and half
2 beaten egg yolks
3/4 c. heavy cream
Croutons

Chop lettuce finely and put in pot with stock with watercress. Sauté onion, bell,pepper, garlic and herbs in butter until soft. Add with seasonings to stock mixture. Add rice if desired. Cover and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer 30 min. Add half and half and reheat without boiling. Beat egg yolks and heavy cream and whisk in 1/2 c. hot soup.  Add to rest of soup. Reheat without boiling and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with croutons.  As a variation cooked green peas, chopped water chestnuts, minced green onions and/or finely shredded lettuce can can added just before serving.

Great Pea Soup

I finally made this wonderful soup last week. For once I followed the recipe exactly (except for twice as much lime juice) and it was worth it!  A light yet filling bowl that had tons of flavor and left me feeling satisfied and not overstuffed.   The apple and sweet potato were wonderful additions and I didn't miss the usual bacon/ham/split pea combo at all. The yogurt and cilantro at the end are essential for both taste and texture. By the way, Ellen, I have the same problem keeping fresh cilantro on hand. I can only grow it in very early spring or very late fall since it bolts really fast in our heat, but when it is the right temperature I have masses.  I chop it up in the food processor with just a little water and freeze it in ice cube trays. One cube is just right for a bowl of soup and the ice melts right away. When it's run out I just buy a couple big bunches and do the same, so I always have chopped cilantro. Just be careful to not chop it to a pesto type paste (although that's good too). I love this soup and will make it again and again.

Moosewood Split Pea Soup

I haven't yet made Sarah's soup, but I plan to do so soon!  I just got back from Singapore, where laksa is a delicious mainstay, so I'm really looking forward to creating a vegetarian version at home.

After traveling for a month and ten days, I was very eager to get back into my own kitchen.  I'm also eager to cook as many vegetable-laden dishes as possible after my trip!  I've made the following split pea soup several times and think it's a really delicious alternative to the more typical thick, heavy pea soups that are flavored primarily by ham or bacon (though if you'd prefer to make that type of soup, this version is excellent).

The recipe comes from the Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites cookbook, one of the first cookbooks I owned in college.  While some of the recipes are definitely out-of-date (like "Another Shepherd's Pie," which makes liberal use of both kasha and soy sauce), others are really quite delicious and do stand the test of time.  This soup, I think, is one of them.

My version:  I used regular green split peas, as that's what I had on hand.  I also added the juice of an entire lime and found that quite a bit of salt was required.  Other than these small changes, though, I followed the recipe below and was very happy with the results.

Golden Split Pea Soup, from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites

3 cups chopped onions
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger root
1 cup dried yellow split peas
7 cups water
2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
1 cup peeled, cored, and cubed apples
3-inch cinnamon stick
2 tsp. chili powder
3/4 cup chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tbsp. soy sauce

for garnish: yogurt, cilantro

In a soup pot, sauté the onions in the oil until golden.  Add the cumin, turmeric, coriander, and ginger and cook for another minute.  Add the split peas, water, sweet potatoes, apples, cinnamon, and chili powder, cover, and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and summer for 40 minutes, or until the peas are tender.

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, lime juice, and soy sauce.  When the peas are tender, add the tomato mixture.  If desired, purée the soup.  Add salt and more lime juice to taste.  Serve topped with yogurt and cilantro.

Pumpkin Rice Laksa - Jamie Oliver

It's my first time posting from across the pond! This is a Jamie Oliver recipe. I've made it several times, and it never disappoints.

Ingredients

• 600g/1lb 6oz pumpkin, butternut squash, onion squash or acorn squash, halved, peeled and deseeded
• A small handful of lime leaves
• 2-3 chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 thumb-sized pieces of fresh ginger, peeled
• 3 sticks of lemongrass, outer leaves removed
• A large handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), leaves picked, stalks chopped
• 1 heaped teaspoon five-spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Olive oil
• 1 white onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 565ml/1 pint chicken or vegetable stock
• 200g/7oz basmati rice
• 2 x 400ml/14oz tins of coconut milk
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of 1 or 2 limes
• Optional: 1 fresh red chilli, sliced
• Optional: fresh coconut, grated

Directions

First of all you need to chop the pumpkin flesh into 5cm/2-inch pieces. To make your fragrant soup base, first chop, then whizz or bash up the following in your food processor or pestle and mortar until you have a pulpy mix: the lime leaves, chillies, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, coriander stalks, five-spice and cumin. Remove any stringy bits that may remain in the pulp. Put this fragrant mixture into a high-sided pan with a little oil and your finely sliced onion and cook gently for about 10 minutes to release the flavours.

Add the pumpkin and the stock to the pan. Stir around, scraping all the goodness off the bottom of the pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for about 15 minutes until the pumpkin is soft. At this point, add the rice and give it a really good stir. Some of the pumpkin will begin to mush up, but you’ll also have some chunks. Continue to simmer with the lid on until the rice is cooked, then off comes the lid. Add the coconut milk, stir again, taste and season carefully with salt and pepper. To give it a bit of sharpness add the lime juice – the amount will depend on how juicy your limes are, but the idea is to give the soup a little twang.

Sarah's Soup

I had to make some adaptations based on what I had, and the fact that I find it more difficult to get fresh Asian ingredients in the North of England. (It was very easy in Australia!) So I used a "culinary pumpkin", and I toasted the seeds for topping. It was a big pumpkin, and it weighed in at about 2 lb 6 oz after peeling and removing the seeds. 

Instead of fresh, I used dried lime leaves and lemongrass paste (called "very lazy" brand for a reason). I also added some galangal paste, and used coconut oil instead of olive oil. I certainly didn't bother getting rid of the stringy bits because no one in this house would notice. I only used 1 tin plus a bit more of coconut milk because that was plenty rich; but I needed a lot more water, especially because of the massive pumpkin. Beware that it keeps absorbing water as it sits, but I love very thick soups, so I don't mind a bit. I also used bottled lime juice because limes are a bit hard to come by at the supermarkets in the North. This is a very filling and extremely flavourful soup. 

As you can see from the background, I am getting overly excited about the fact that I now have access to a variety of pumpkins and squashes again. In Australia they only have a couple of types of pumpkin, and they don't really have a variety of squashes. So I was sad to see my little culinary pumpkin go. I'll just have to buy another!

Oddly, I served this with a sweet potato cornbread with collard confetti (recipe here; I used spring greens because I can't get collards here). I know it doesn't go with the soup, but I had some leftover from the weekend. It worked somehow.

Just for fun....here's another picture with my stuffed wombat in the background. I'm (more than a bit) mad, and absolutely obsessed with wombats.

COCONUT CURRY LENTIL SOUP (apparently a Whole Foods recipe and published Nov.11, 2015 in the Albuquerque Journal)

1 T. coconut or olive oil
1 lg. onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. minced fresh ginger
2 T. tomato paste
2 T. curry powder
1/2 t. red pepper flakes or more to taste
4 c. vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1-1/2 c. dry petite red lentils, rinsed and sorted
2 to 3 handfuls chopped spinach, kale or other green
salt and pepper to taste
Chopped cilantro, chopped green onion and/or sour cream for garnish

In stockpot, heat oil over medium heat and stir-fry onion, garlic and ginger a couple of minutes until onion is translucent.  Add tomato paste, curry powder and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute.  Add broth, coconut milk, diced tomatoes and lentils.  Cover and bring to boil, then simmer on low heat for 20 to 30 minutes until lentils are very tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  Just before serving stir in greens and garnish with cilantro, green onion and/or sour cream.  

ANN'S SOUP

I've been intending to make lentil soup since the weather has cooled so this recipe which appeared this morning in the newspaper looked very appealing (plus I had all the ingredients on hand).  It proved to be very quick to put together and cooked fast since I used very small lentils.  Best of all, it is delicious!

I love coconut in any form so used the coconut oil instead of olive.  For the pepper flakes I used 1 t. aleppo pepper and 1 t. urfa pepper (I know, that's quadrupling the amount but I've got a real pepper habit and it honestly wasn't too spicy).  I stuck with the veggie broth rather than my usual chicken substitution and just smushed up with my hands the can of whole tomatoes I had.  The rain and cooler temperatures of the past couple months have been wonderful for my garden greens so I used some beautiful rainbow chard.  

The soup was great  topped with green onion, cilantro and yogurt (instead of sour cream since I wanted some tang) and eaten with some warmed up naan topped with olive oil and a sprinkle of za'atar.