I spent 3 weeks in Israel. Started in Jerusalem, onto Tel Aviv, Tiberias / galilee things to see, Ein Geddi (dead sea), and Eilat. I do not think I have ever consumed so much hummos, pita and falafel in my entire life...
I wish I had more tandoor oven action on Camera, but often we were too distracted by satisfying our stomachs then getting recordings...
The tandoor oven is key for so many delicious Indian dishes. Especially that it can go up to 800 degrees and is pretty much why I cannot recreate nan bread at home.
Oh so sad...
If you wanted a break from heavy Indian food and feel cleansed on the inside, this was THE place.
It is a vegan, all organic restaurant that advertises everything from acai, to ginseng, quinoa, and pretty much every root / green vegetable that exists on the planet.
The sign for Honey and Spice caught my eye every day as I walked by, and when I went... I fell in love... breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner.
The muesli even had dried figs! Which in India, already finding oatmeal was hard.
Click on this picture and zoom on the white board.. so funny!
'Fried eggs' which was scrambled tofu, quinoa, beet sprouts, beans and more!
Tofu steak, need I say more?
The side veggies were amazing! Beets, Kale, pumpkin, and more.
I never thought I'd see "whole wheat" again till I got home, but this place proved me wrong with their breakfast mock cheese and tomato sandwich and stir fry root veggies. All homemade!
Kerala is the southern west state that run down the coast, and also known to be the land of spices. The food you get there is unique to anywhere else in India. The rice is even completely different. Its thicker short grain and much more filling I find.
They really like to use coconut, a special curry leaf that I hated, and explosions of spices.
Elana and I went on a day trip to sail through the "backwaters", which we did the cheaper version on a big boat with around 30 people. The best way to go is spend a bit more, get a private overnight boat with personal chef and sleep under the amazing stars. Popular honeymoon attraction.
To be honest, I don't know what everything is that we got in this lunch, but it was spice filled and scrumptious.
This random priest man (my stalker as some of you know), took me to see this stunning temple in the middle of no where outside of Hyderabad. This is where I ate with my hands for the first time in India, managing to eat up a plate of not solid, but runny, curdy, saucy foods. All ladled from giant buckets onto my mountain of rice.
It was quite the challenge and made a laugh for those sitting next to me.
There were people from all over, coming for a community meeting, which I sat through not understanding a word...
After being blessed when we first arrived at the temple, we were given these bowls made of palm leaves, with lentils and rice, and a sweet ladoo ball. Ladoos are like balls of sugar! Definitely not cooked since you crunch of some sugar and also packed with dry fruits such as apricots and raisins.
Warm, enormous, fat cuts of rice noodles and hearty good feeling veggies. A popular added meat in the area was mutton, which was pretty tasty. When I had it in a less westernized, hole in the wall local places, it was just big thick rice noodles and mutton, no veg.
I kept asking them how you make it, and they kept saying, you just throw in whatever you want! So I guess it can be as simple as that!
The most crowded festival I have ever seen in my life! So insane that instead of taking the boat across the river to the festival, we put our lives in danger and swam across the nasty fast current waters that divides Hampi in the middle of the night!
Thank God for wet sacs...
No one looked confused as the white people arrived drenched in water...
I'd have to say one of my best adventures with Maegan and Hose!
And the festival was amazing. It was dancing, singing, exploding with street snack options, and even a fake plastic animal zoo. Which was rather strange...
Well making food in the middle of no where near Pakistan (upper west coast of India) was certainly exciting. But I have to say, potato and thick roti bread became a bit boring after 6 meals of it!
In the end, our guides were hilarious, our thighs had no feeling left after riding for so many hours, and believe it or not, even in the desert, purchasing alcohol was somehow an option for our night sleeping under the stars, under cozy million year old blankets that have snuggled with too many people before us.
I also have to say, theres no feeling like peeing in the pitch black breezy empty au naturel desert.
It's amazing! Beats a western toilet any day!
My camels name was Monica too!
Good Mornin!
Making roti... it was good, thick, but a tad sandy! We all got to help :)
Making dal and aloo curry (lentil and potato).
Local girls cleaning our dishes, with sand! It was sad to see the malnourished kids... their hair going blond since their diet is so poor.
I thought I had to wait for China to get awesome dumplings... but I was wrong! Tibetan dumplings are called 'momo's'. Northern India in Mcleod Ganj is where many tibetan's escaped to/settled, and have certainly influenced the cuisine and street snacks! I think I could get around a dozen for only 1 dollar. They are scrumptious, filling, and packpacker price friendly. I miss those rosy cheek ladies with homemade goodies!
Yes... that is ketchup, with cabbage, carrot and sweet soya sauce.
Eat the sweet ones with creamy honey... mmm
Dough
For 6 people, and enough for 3 flavors
1/2 kilo flour
2 tsp baking powder
350ml room temperature water
1. Mix sifted flour and baking powder in a bowl, then slowly add water. When I tried this at home, I believe I had to add more water, but add enough so it gathers together in a ball like when making bread, but not sticky. 2. knead on floured surface for 3 minutes, then let it rest for 10 minutes. To portion: roll into a long thick rope. Cut 2 finger width pieces and roll into a ball, flatten and make a nice circle with a rolling pin. Add a tbsp filling and pinch shut into desired shape (see video below). Steam momos for 15 minutes, or 10 minutes for sweet ones.
Left: savory momos, Right: Sweet momos
Ingredients and 3 tier steamer!
Vegetable Momo filling
**half medium sized green cabbage, finely chopped
1 carrot peeled and grated
1 large onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
3 TBSP oil
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 TBSP finely chopped green onion (green part)
1/4 tsp crushed black pepper
** replace cabbage for any raw minced meat
1. Mix together
Spinach cheese Momo
1/4 kilo spinach (washed, squeezed, patted dry and finely chopped)
3 TBSP cheese (or tofu if desired)
1 TBSP garlice, minced
1 TBSP fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP green onion finely chopped
2 TBSP oil
1. Have a empty bowl or plate ready to dump the finish product on close by 2. Heat oil in pan, and add sugar and sesame seeds. 3. Add flour after 30 seconds and keep stirring till browns and roasty smells come out. 4. quickly dump on plate and keep separating it/chopping it with a spatula or spoon so that it doesn't cool down into one clump.
Voila! filling is done Alternatives: We did not try it, but our teacher said we can replace sugar with grated chocolate (any kind), replace sugar with grated and squeezed water out apple, or finally replace sugar with mashed banana.
Finally, to try momos, only steam 10 minutes, then fry for 2 minutes (we were told only for the savory ones). If using a 3 layer steamer, put sweet ones on top, and cook everything for 15 minutes.
I could not ignore the fact, that something on the menu was titled "Hello to the queen".
I had to order it.
And here was this cold ice cream, hot chocolate sauce, crushed cookies and hidden banana chunks underneath all this deliciousness. I can't explain how simple, yet good this was. The entire table ended up ordering one for themselves!
Here is a picture of a recommended brand for spice mixes. But any brand will do the job! For cheaper, preferable to find an Indian grocery store/corner store. Or ask a local Indian restaurant where you can get it.
In Montreal: Park ex all the way!! There is a depanneur type store between Parc and Acadie metro on Jean Talon (closer to acadie) it has 3 steps up when you walk in with produce in boxes in the entrance, and shelves in the back. About a dollar per box! You can also collect any spices, whole or ground for dirt cheap, ghee, various flours (millet, sorghum, etc), coconut milk, etc.
All of the following recipes can be seen in the posted video under the Butter Chicken recipe
What is Paneer?
If firm tofu and cheese made love, this would make paneer cheese. Its light, keeps its shape hot, not such a strong flavour (close taste to cottage cheese), but great heartiness in any indian curry dish. You would be surprised how good it is!
Ingredients
2 TBSP cooking oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 large red onion finely chopped
-
2 TSBP butter
-
3 plum tomatoes finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp tumeric
pinch chili powder
1 tsp king masala spice mix
1 tsp garam masala spice mix
1 tsp garlic ginger paste
-
1 green pepper large dice (optional, usually not inside this dish, but we added it)
2 cups fresh mushrooms sliced (canned works also)
1 cup/8 oz cubed paneer cheese NOTE: if you cannot find paneer cheese, google how to make it (easy), OR replace with firm tofu
1. Heat oil, add and toast cumin seeds (25 seconds). Add onions and cook till browned. 2. Add butter and stirr till brown and roasted smells come out (5 mins around) 3. add tomatoes and stir / mash it 4. and salt and spices, and green pepper. stir for 5 minutes 5. add paneer, or if using tofu, add it with the peppers.
Garnish: drizzle of cream and fresh chopped coriander.
We never requested a healthier version, but our teacher prefers alternatives to heavy cream!
dairy free: replace butter with margarine or coconut cream
Ingredients
1 large red onion, very thin sliced
1/4cup water
3 plum tomatoes
1/2 cup both water and skinned watermelon seeds (or cashew nuts)
-
2 TBSP cooking oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 pieces of whole dry black cardamom
2 pieces of cinnamon bark
1.5 TBSP garlic ginger paste AND Butter
1 tsp tumeric powder
1/4tsp chili powder
-
1tsp salt
1 tsp king masala spice mix
1 tsp garam masala spice mix
-
2 small chicken breasts, cubed, or any part of the chicken
STEPS
1. boil onions in water for 10 minutes in pressure cooker, or 30 minutes on stove. Blend SEPARATELY onion mix, tomatoes and seeds + water
2. In a pot, heat oil, add cumin seeds, cardamom, cinnamon bark. Cook for a minute till fragrant. 3. add gingergarlic paste, butter, tumeric and chili powder and cook till browned. 4. Add tomato puree and cook 5 minutes 5. add salt, seed puree, masala spices, onion mix and 0.5cups water, cook 5 more minutes. 6. add chicken and cook 20 minutes.
For presentation: drizzle some cream and freshly chopped coriander.
We ate this with Roti and basmatti rice
Great roti recipe at a ladies website called Manjula. She has many youtube videos:
Ingredients 200g dry chick peas, soaked overnight 3 cups water 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp tumeric powder OR 1 large can of chickpeas rinsed, and drained, with 0.5 cups water with 1/2 tsp salt and tumeric - 2 plum tomatoes (very fine chop) 1 large red onion (very fine chop) ** fine chop to help speed up cooking/easier to mash -
2 TBSP any cooking oil 1 tsp cumin seeds **1 tsp garlic ginger paste - 1tsp salt 1/2 tsp tumeric powder 1/4 tsp chili powder (or any form of chili you've got) 1 tsp kitchen king spice mix
- 1tsp chana masala spice mix
STEPS
1. If using dry chickpeas, drain them, then place in pressure cooker with water, tumeric and salt for 20 minutes, or use stove top till cooked with a bite, not mush! (maybe 1 hour). 2. heat oil, then add cumin seeds, and stir till toasty/browned (25 seconds), then add onions and cook till browned. 3. add tomatoes, then add garlic/ginger paste, and all the spices, salt (except chana masala). Cook and mash/stir everything for around 10 minutes. (Your going more for a paste look) 4. Add chick peas from pressure cooker with left over water, or canned ones with water,salt,tumeric. Also add chana masala. Cook for 5 more minutes, then done! Serve with basmatti rice, or any indian bread. ** You can grind up your own garlic ginger paste of equal parts, keep it in oil in the fridge which will last at least 3 weeks. Otherwise check out the asian section in your grocery store. My comments: I like 1 more tomato and feel free to replace chick peas with any small chopped veggies (add in order of their cooking time). I recommend the combo of cauliflower and potato (makes Aloo gobi), but precook them. Maybe even add a hint of sugar if you desire some sweetness.
Basically if yogurt and cottage cheese made love, they would produce 'curd' which is the main ingredient in lassi drinks, or it can come alongside spicy food to help tame the spice.
Lassi is a blend of curd and whichever fruit you ask for. Its the best version of a yogurt fruit shake!
And by far the best is always Banana Lassi.
This particular one is pineapple, and it was served in a beautiful little clay up. Fannnntastic!
This was in narrow alleyway streets of Varanassi, the place of the ganges/pilgrimage.
This is taken in pushkar, India. Shopping heaven.
On the way from our fantastic rooftop restaurant hotel, we passed this teeny alleyway of street stalls, mostly deep fried fritters in various shaped soaked in syrups. Great when fresh... but oh so heavy.
