Black Sesame Seeds and Sugar Beet Whole Wheat Fusion Bread - Cooking on a Shoestring Budget

There can be nothing more satisfying than breaking bread with a group of your friends to seal the camaraderie. From time immemorial, breaking bread signifies a shared bond, a sense of togetherness and every warm, fuzzy and friendly feeling.

Baking bread is my favorite pastime. The aroma of freshly baked bread must surely be one of the very best olfactory enticements for a human being. In fact, let me modify that: not just for a human being. The smell of fresh baked bread also entices my normally aloof cat, right onto my lap, licking his chops, smacking his whiskers and staring unblinkingly at my mouth, hoping to grab a fallen crumb!

When I bake, I love to experiment. Mostly, I use a basic bread recipe but will work with a plethora of ingredients, vegetables and spices so I can blend the eastern and western cuisine. And ever since I've switched to whole grains and unrefined carbohydrates, I try to bake bread at home so I can bake with my favorite King Arthur whole wheat flour - so yummy, tasty and oh, so satisfying!

Home-baked bread has many advantages: the aroma of the bread that fills the house for at least a day, the satisfaction of being an "artist" and a "creator", the knowledge that you can control what goes into your body, and best of all, since we are on our Shoestring series - the cost of the bread!

So go ahead and try this wonderful Fusion recipe of Black Sesame seeds and Sugar Beet Whole Wheat Bread. The grated sugar beet makes this bread moist and soft, the black sesame seeds add the crunch, and the whole wheat gives it bulk and texture.

This bread will assault all your senses - visual, olfactory and sensory. It looks enticing with the glorious red of the sugar beets, the shiny black of the sesame seeds, and the earthy brown of the whole wheat. It smells simply heavenly. And it is tasty and filling. In addition, it is healthy and low-fat. What more reason do you need to try this out on a Sunday afternoon?

Here is one more: it costs $1.40 and makes about 25 - 27 slices. Each slice is so filling that you can only eat a slice for each meal. That makes it $1.40 for 25 servings!

So without more ado, let's start.

Here is what you need:
3 cups King Arthur whole wheat flour
1/4 cup + 1 tsp sugar (brown sugar, if you want to ensure the bread has no whiff of refined stuff!)
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium sugar beet (peeled and grated fine)
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
1 cup water
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 egg white

Here is how you make this:
Heat one cup water in the microwave until warm. Test the temperature by dabbing a drop onto your wrist. The water should be just warm and bearable. Add 1 tsp sugar, salt and active dry yeast to the water and let sit for about 10 - 15 minutes in a warm place until the water froths up.

In a large bowl mix together the whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup sugar, olive oil, grated sugar beet and 1/4 cup black sesame seeds. Slowly add the yeast mixture and knead thoroughly. Cover with a clean, wet kitchen towel and let sit on your warm countertop for a couple of hours. Punch down, knead, and cover once every hour.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Shape the dough into a loaf. Brush the top of the loaf with beaten egg white and sprinkle with 1 tbsp black sesame seeds.

Bake for about 40-50 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven, cool and slice. Store wrapped in an aluminum foil for upto a week.

Cost:
Whole wheat flour: $0.60
Oil : $0.20
Sugar : $0.10
Beet : $0.30
Sesame seeds : $0.10
Yeast : $0.10
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Total :$1.40 - Serves 25 - about $0.05 to $0.06 a slice!
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Spicy Okra in yogurt sauce - Cooking on a Shoestring Budget

The great city of Chennai, in Southern India, has its own very unique culture. Chennai has a churning, roiling, ebbing and flowing mass of humanity, which manages to co-exist in relative peace. Like every other large metropolitan city in the world, Chennai too has its class divide between the rich and the poor. In addition, it has a unique class divide that is not based on economic strata. This class divide is based on India's ancient culture of caste system. However, I like to think that the caste system boundaries have slowly eroded and no longer do people identify themselves as belonging to a certain caste.

Despite all that, there is one way of identifying people of a certain caste: their eating habits. Based on whether they are Hindus, Muslims or Christians, people in India have varying dietary habits. And amongst the Hindus, various castes have different methods of cooking, utilizing spices, and different favorite foods. The distinction is so great, that sometimes, the Chennai-ites refer to people of a certain community by the name of their favorite dish! This is usually done with friendly banter and in a teasing manner. The targets of the banter also take it in the spirit it is meant and do not mind being referred to by the name of a dish!

And so it was, that when I lived in Chennai, I was fondly referred to as "Thair Sadam" or Yogurt rice by my friends. I belong to a community which HAS to end its 3-course meal with Thair sadam. Yogurt is such an integral part of the meal that it is considered a panacea for all illnesses. It is a ubiquitous, favorite food. And any dish made with yogurt is a hot favorite.

Here is one such dish - so very easy to make, so yummy and such a fabulous accompaniment with any main dish - rice or chapathi. The recipe for Spicy Okra in yogurt sauce is one of the series of Cooking on a Shoestring budget. You will see just how easy this dish is on your wallet. Enjoy!

Here is what you need:
10 fresh Okra pods (washed and chopped in about 1/2" pieces)
1 cup fresh homemade yogurt (if you cannot make yogurt at home, buy Stonyfield low fat or whole milk yogurt)
1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder (reduce as necessary)
1 tbsp olive oil

Here is how you make this:
Heat a pan and add olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped Okra, salt, turmeric and red chili powder. Stir fry on high heat until the Okra is fried crisp and nearly blackened. Remove from the stove and cool.

In a dish, lightly beat yogurt with a fork. If you are using Stonyfield yogurt, add half cup of water to the yogurt and then beat with a fork. Add the fried Okra into the yogurt.

Serve with Rice, chapathi, or Edamame and Green Onion Rice Pilaf.


Cost:
Okra: $0.50
Yogurt: $0.90 (for Stonyfield yogurt. If you are using homemade yogurt, it will probably cost $0.15)
Spices: $0.10
Oil : $0.10
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Total : $1.60 - Serves 4
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Calabaza Squash Chutney - Cooking on Shoestring Budget

It seems like everyday brings us bad news about our economy. Jobs lost, businesses floundering, people on unemployment, children displaced...Even if you are not directly affected, someone you know might be. I know it is easy to be disheartened.

But, at times like this, it is even more important to stay healthy, focused and strong. And you can do it - you can keep your family healthy on a shoestring budget.

Here begins a series of posts of dishes that cost very less, are healthy and easy to make and keep your family not just fed, but fed with wholesome, enticing, satisfying food on a shoestring budget. The dishes that I plan to post will average around $3-$4 and will feed a family of 4. Most dishes will be served with rice, whole-wheat chapathis (Indian flatbread) or regular whole wheat bread. You can keep the cost of each meal (including rice or bread) to about a $1 or $1.50 per person - sure beats McDonalds dollar menus - in terms of taste, nutrition, variation and satisfaction.

Here are some tips to lower grocery bills - yes, you can still eat fresh!

1. Buy local and seasonal vegetables and fruit. For instance, buy squash and pumpkin in fall. Fresh cauliflower and peas in winter. Watermelon in summer.
2. If your family likes bananas, ensure that you have them at hand. They are cheap - generally about $0.40/lb, available year round, very healthy and wholesome. Try to get the kids to eat at least one banana or some other fruit each day, instead of eating chips and salsa or cookies.
3. Supplement vegetable dishes with canned beans. You can buy canned black beans, garbanzo beans, red kidney beans when they are on sale and stock up. When you are in need of a quick meal, you can whip up a fantastic tasting dish with these beans.
4. Many people end up buying much more than they can consume in a week. Vegetables and fruit are usually fresh only for a week or so. So plan your menu beforehand. When you visit the store, resist buying more than you need. Otherwise, a large part of the grocery bill will go towards wastage. I follow the maxim - "Waste Not, Want Not".
5. Patronize your local farmer's market. You will help your local businesses survive during the downturn, while getting fresh, possibly organic produce at low prices.
6. Especially if you are a vegetarian, stock up on a variety of lentils. They average around $1.50/lb and are protein rich. You can also sprout some of them at home for an extra helping of nutrition.
   

This week, I found fresh Calabaza Squash in my neighborhood grocery store. They were priced at $1.29/lb. I bought a pound and made them into this easy, goes-with-everything chutney. Serve with rice, or chapathis (Indian flatbread) or even with pan-toasted bread.

Here is what you need:
1 lb Calabaza squash
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tbsp skinned, split urad dal
4-5 dry red chili
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp olive oil

Here is how you make this:
Wash and peel the Calabaza squash. Chop into cubes. Heat a pan. Add olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Wait until the seeds crackle and add the dry red chili and urad dal. Stir fry until the chili and urad dal are brown and crisp. Add the Calabaza squash and salt. Stir fry on high for a couple of minutes. The squash will start to extrude some juice. Keep stirring until some of the juice has evaporated. Remove from the stove. Place in a blender with tamarind paste and blend until smooth.

Serve over rice, or with chapathis or on toasted bread along with some sprouts for a full meal.


Cost:
Calabaza squash: $1.29
Spices : $0.25
Oil : $0.10
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Total : $1.64 - Serves 6

February 2009 Roundup

February has been a month of many delicious new trials and some hot favorites. With the winter snow blanketing the ground, and the slushy, slippery streets to deal with, it has been a month of warm, cozy meals by the fireside, safely ensconced in the family home.

We started the month off with the Goat Cheese Salad with Couscous - an easy and quick dish to put together when you are back home tired after a long day at work. Goat cheese gave this salad that gourmet touch, while the Kalamata Olives provided that tangy, salty taste. All in all, it was a healthy, low fat, and satisfying meal.



The Brain food - Stir fried Curried Okra added that crisp, crunchy flavor to any meal. This accompaniment is the enticing pick-me-up to keep your family's intellect sharp and incisive. :)






If you ever needed to entice your taste buds and ensure that you have something at hand to smother over warm bread to make an easy meal, make the Sweet Green Chili pickle. Stock your refrigerator with this pickle and you can lay your hands on a yummy meal in a snap.




For a replete Sunday lunch, after a day spent on the snowy slopes sledding with your children, make the Radish Greens Stuffed Whole Wheat Bread. Serve with the Sweet Green Chili Pickle or with warm jam. Nothing like greens camouflaged in warm, homemade bread to welcome kids home from a long, rambunctious morning of play and fun!



Make the Crisp, Curried Kovakkai, if your family is tired of the same ole' potatoes, peas and cauliflower. Watching your family down the vegetable without any proddding will be a reward in itself.





Fasting one day a week? Don't forget to take a swig of the Fresh Homemade Vegetable and Fruit nectar to keep you alert and hydrated.






When the sweet tooth beckons, make this wonderful, healthy Sugar Beet payasam. No trans-fat laden, unhealthy, artery-choking dessert for you and your family! Enjoy every sensation with healthy, wholesome ingredients!





Cold winds howling outside your window panes with sleet and snow bearing down? Eat this satisfying, sweet and spicy, Sweet Potato Spicy Soup to warm the cockles of your heart.






There are days when you crave a delicacy and all you can think of is to visit the local ethnic restaurant for a meal. Resist that feeling and make this wonderful Edamame and Green Onion Pilaf at home to assuage that craving.





And finally, round up your snack attack with this wonderfully healthy Jicama Mint cutlets.

Jicama Mint Cutlets

It is a well known fact that the musical score for the song "Jai Ho" in the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" won the Oscar for its creator, A. R. Rahman. But it wasn't just the musical score of the song that made it so popular. It was also the fact that the words of the song were so apt. The word "Jai" (pronounced with a "J") means victory. The song bursts onto the screen as the hero of the film, Jamal (pronounced with a "J") wins the million rupees and his girl. And my name "Jaya" is a derivative of the word "jai". Again, pronounced with a "J"!

It was only after my arrival at the US, I realized that some people, especially those of Mexican origin, either didn't seem to have a "J" in their alphabet or wrote "J" when they actually wanted to say "H". And so it was not Jose, but "Hose' ", not Jesus, but "Hesoos" and now I learned, that it is not "Jicama", it is "Hee ca ma"!

Well, I sure am amenable to saying "Hose'", "Hesoos" and "Heecama". Only don't call me "Haya"! Indian languages do have a "J" so I am still "Jaya"!

Jicama is a tuber that is mostly grown in Mexico. The great thing about this vegetable is its low calorie count and very high Vitamin C. It is tasty, crunchy and flavorful. Although some sites mention that Jicama lasts about 2-3 weeks, my personal experience has been that it doesn't seem to have a long shelf life, so try to use it up as soon as you buy it. I read that it is generally eaten raw in salads, but I wanted to experiment with it and see how it tasted in a variety of dishes. So I combined it with fresh mint leaves and made it into really flavorful, fantastic tasting cutlets.

In these days of recession, you can still eat healthy without affecting your pocketbook too much, if you buy local produce, eat most of your meals at home and reduce the frequency of going out to eat. These cutlets that I made cost just under $2. And I made enough cutlets to feed a family of four. Place the cutlets between two slices of whole wheat bread, top with lettuce, tomato and mayo, and Voila! You have a healthy value meal. Sure beats McDonalds!

Here is what you need:
1 large Jicama
1 cup breadcrumbs (make your own and save money: see instructions below)
4-5 sprigs fresh Mint leaves (chopped fine)
1-2 green chilis (chopped fine)
1/2 tsp red chili powder (optional)
3/4 tsp salt
Oil to shallow fry
1 egg white

Here is how you make this:
Wash, peel and grate the Jicama with a hand grater. The tuber is soft and will grate easily. Squeeze out the juice. I hate to waste any food, so I used the juice in my lentil soup.

To make breadcrumbs: Tear 4-5 slices of whole wheat bread into small pieces. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Toast for about 5-7 minutes until the bread pieces are crisp. Remove from the oven, cool and place in a blender to powder fine.

Add 3/4 cup breadcrumbs, chopped mint leaves, chopped green chilis, salt and red chili powder to the grated Jicama. Mix well. Shape into cutlets. Beat the egg white with a fork. Dip the cutlets into the egg white and then coat with the remaining breadcrumbs.

Heat a non-stick pan on the stove. Place the cutlets in the pan. Drizzle olive oil around the cutlets. Cook until crisp and brown on both sides. Remove from pan and serve hot.

Edamame and Green Onion Rice Pilaf

I first heard about Edamame beans from a colleague a couple of years ago. Until she mentioned about her love for Edamame, I had never heard about or seen fresh or frozen Soybeans (Edamame). When I lived in India, I used to make dishes with the dried soybeans, but was not aware that fresh beans are also available. So I looked up its nutrition facts online and found that Edamame would be a great addition to a vegetarian diet because of its high protein content. In addition, it is a good source of dietary fiber (32% daily value per serving), Vitamin C, Folate and Iron.

If you are not sure what Edamame is, look for it in the freezer section of your local grocery store. You will find both shelled and unshelled Edamame. I generally buy the frozen shelled Edamame, because I like to add it to most vegetable dishes and it is good to have it on hand. As long as you are careful not to overcook it, it adds a great crunch and texture to your dishes. You can also buy the unshelled Edamame - simply steam it in salt water and you can serve it as a snack or appetizer.

I have to confess, like my colleague, I have developed a taste for Edamame. And so I tried it in this rice pilaf dish with green onions and it tastes simply fabulous! The best part is that this dish is so quick and easy-to-make: just 15-20 minutes and your hot, fresh, yummy dinner is ready.

Here is what you need:
1 cup basmati rice
2 handfuls frozen Edamame
3 stalks green onion (remove stalk and snip fine: I used scissors to snip fine)
3/4 tsp salt
2 green cardamom
1/2" piece cinnamon
4-5 cloves
1 brown cardamom
1 small bay leaf
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups water
Here is how you make this:
Wash and drain the basmati rice. Set aside. In a large pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf) and brown lightly. Now add the Edamame beans and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add the rice. Fry for a minute. Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Boil for about 15-20 minutes until nearly all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Now add the snipped green onion and stir lightly. Finish cooking until all the water is absorbed. Serve hot with any side dish. While eating, set the whole spices aside. They are added for flavoring and add a delicate taste to this pilaf.

I served the Edamame and Green Onion Rice Pilaf with a spicy Okra yogurt pachadi (sauce). Check back later for the Okra yogurt pachadi recipe.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Spicy Soup

Winter days always bring to mind, images of my older sister, wrapped cosily in a blanket, on a "charpoy" (rope cot) placed on the lush green lawn, sunning herself after a wonderful lunch.

Those were the days we used to live in Jodhpur, a city in the desert state of Rajasthan. Summers in Rajasthan were usually spent indoors to avoid the frequent sandstorms and blistering heat. But we invariably spent the winters outdoors taking in the sun!

The winter sun in Jodhpur was warm without being too hot and bright without being too dazzling. And Sunday afternoons in winter were meant for dozing in the sun, replete after a great meal. Winter meals too, were different from summer meals. Summer meals were light and cooling with lots of liquids and juices. In winter though, we could indulge in the winter vegetables that were available in plenty: the squashes, pumpkins, the gourds and the sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes were our favorite dish for the winter. They were usually brought in fresh from the fields with the mud still sticking to them, by the local farmers pushing their hand carts.

Sweet potatoes are one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. They contain almost twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, 42 percent of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin C, four times the RDA for beta carotene, and when eaten with the skin, sweet potatoes have more fiber than oatmeal. All these benefits for only about 130 to 160 calories!

In honor of my sister, here is a recipe for a sweet and spicy winter soup: this is a low calorie, zero fat meal by itself. It is also very quick and easy-to-make. Serve with bread or just eat it hot off the stove!

Here is what you need:
1 large sweet potato
1/4 cup pink lentils
1 habanero or jalapeno (optional - beware the habanero is very spicy!)
2 medium sized tomatoes
2 - 3 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red chili powder (if you are omitting the habanero or jalapeno)
1 tsp turmeric powder

Here is how you make this:
Wash and chop the sweet potato. Do not remove the skin. Wash the pink lentils. Add everything in a large pot and cook until the sweet potatoes and pink lentils are soft. Serve hot.