Around the World in 80 Dishes: Nepal

For many, the mention of Nepal conjures images of Mount Everest. Known locally as Sagarmatha or Qomolangma, Mount Everest boasts of the highest point above sea level. The thought of the mountain also conjures up images of intrepid mountain climbers moving from base camp to base camp, with their sherpas. Indeed, the mountain casts a long shadow, one that often obscures the tens of millions of Nepali who live not just in the mountains and the valleys, but also the plains below. 

I find the stories of the Nepali people far more interesting and compelling than those any person -- such as Sir Edmund Hillary or  George Mallory -- who ascended Mount Everest. Their stories told by the Nepalis are ones of struggle, resilience, and hope. Unlike those of Hillary or Mallory, these stories recount lived experiences that span three hundred and sixty-five days per year, each and every year.  

Many of those stories can be found on a website, Stories of Nepal. The website curates the short stories of everyday Nepalis by subject and by cmmunity. The subjects that got my attention had names such as A Right to Earn a Living, Of Hope and Resilience, Strive Struggle Trive, and The Future I Want. I also browsed the stories by communities, looking at the stories from each of Nepal's three ecological regions: the mountains, the hills and the terai (or plains). 

As I read through these stories, I began to notice the common threads: the poverty at home, the desire to have a better life, the paths that they took to achieve that goal, and the obstacles that they had to overcome. There are two measures of poverty: income poverty and human poverty. The former measures whether a person has enough income to meet basic needs, while the latter has a broader focus on whether a person has access to essential resources and opportunities necessary for a decent life. Significant portions of Nepalis across all regions suffer from both types of poverty: in the mountains, 38% suffer from human poverty and 42 percent suffer from income poverty; in the hills, 24% suffer from human poverty while 29% suffer from income poverty; and, in the terai, 33% suffer from human poverty while only 23% suffer from income poverty.

But, as they say, numbers don't tell the whole story. That is where the Nepalis themselves come in. Their contribution demonstrates the hard work that they endure, but the hope that they have for either themselves or their children. For example, Beyond these Mountains tells the story of one Nepali woman, Bhomo Karto Tamang, in Gatang, which is high up in the mountains. She was born in a relatively well-to-do family whose father herded 18 yaks, 200 sheep, and, in her words, "I did not count the goats." She talked about how strong her mother was and how she helped her mother prepare the barley flour. That flour was payment to her father's shepherds. When she grew up, she got married and her life continued much like her mother. However, unlike her mother, this woman decided with her husband to send their children to school. She wanted her children to experience what lies beyond the mountains, something that she never had.

Then there is the story of Hiralel Rai, who lives in Khotang, which is firmly nestled in the hills of Nepal. Rai loved to sing and dance as a kid. His conduct was frowned upon in school, as it was deemed the type of activity inappropriate for boys. That led to corporal punishment by teachers. Rai persevered and, eventually, became a teacher himself. In his own words: 

I am aware that the choices I make as a teacher, inside the classroom, will have a great impact on the lives of these children. Of what they will do and who they will become. So I am always careful as to what I do and what I say in class. I am not a strict teacher who only disciplines students. We all know we get bored in class so I make things fun. I tell stories. While I teach English, I also dance with them. I also sing with them. And everyone sings and dances with me. Freely, without any fear.

There are many more stories that are illuminating and inspiring about how people overcome their circumstances for the betterment of not just themselves but others. When one can see that in people, they are seeing the innate dignity that lies within all of us and that we all deserve. 

I strongly recommend reading Stories of Nepal, where the above stories and pictures come from. They provide a very good starting point to learn about the people. Now, it is time to learn about their cuisine, which is the focus of my personal culinary challenge, Around the World in 80 Dishes. The main course, Bhuketo Maso, and the side dish, Piro Alu Dum, have their own stories to tell.

MAIN COURSE

My love for eating goat meat has made its appearance in my culinary challenge on more than one occasion, with Goat Curry from Guyana and two dishes -- Chichinga and Jollof Rice with Goat -- from Ghana. In preparing those dishes, I only tangentially touched, at best, or completely missed, at worst, an important subject: the role that goats play to help lift the poor out of poverty. That subject is harder to miss when one looks at Nepal, because quite a few non-governmental organizations have pursued initiatives to introduce goat farming to those who have little, and researchers followed behind to measure the impact. 

Goats are often referred to as the "poor man's cow." Like cows, goats produce milk and meat, but at a cheaper price to purchase and at a lower cost to maintain. One study estimated that a person could maintain four goats at the same cost as one cow. In addition, one can raise goats in areas where, due to lack of substantial vegetation, it would be harder to raise cows or other animals.  

There are many organizations that have worked to provide goats to poor Nepalis, to provide them with a means through which they can earn money through the sale of goat milk, or, over time, goat meat. Those programs were, in turn, monitored through research, including efforts that were funded by the United States Agency of International Development or USAID. One such research effort found that the provision of goats by Heifer International to poor Nepali women, along with training in animal husbandry, had positive outcomes on the living standards of those women. (I had to look for sources other than those of USAID because the current American administration has taken down EVERYTHING that USAID has done to help the poor around the world.)

For my main challenge, I decided to prepare Bhuketo Maso, which is a dry curry. The dish could be prepared with any kind of protein, such as chicken or lamb. However, I decided to use goat as a nod to the importance that this particular protein has in lifting many Nepalis of poverty. 

BHUKETO MASO

Recipe from Nepali Tummy

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound goat meat (clean and cut in 2 inch cubes)
• 1/2 tablespoon of cumin seeds or 1/2 tablespoon cumin powder
• 1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds or 1/2 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon powder
• 3-4 dried red chiles or 1/2 tablespoon red chile powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• Salt
• 4 tablespoons oil

Directions:

1. Prepare the spice mix. Add the cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and dried red chiles in a spice grinder. (If you are using ground spices, just combine). Grind until the spices are a powder. Remove to a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of water to make a thick paste.

2. Boil the meat. In a deep pan, add the meat, water (to cover) and 2 pinches of salt. Boil the meat until it is cooked, approximately 20 minutes.  Be careful not to overcook. 

3. Finish the dish. Heart the oil in a separate pan. Add the boiled meat and the spice paste, stir over medium heat and cook for 10-12 minutes. 

SIDE DISH

While Bhuketo Maso may be a dry curry, I prepared a side dish that did have a curry-like sauce. Piro alu dum is a potato curry that has a tomato base.  This provided a little contrast to the overall meal. 

Potatoes were actually introduced into Nepal back in the mid-19th century, when a British naturalist, Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, during an expedition to that country. While Hooker ultimately left, the tubers remained and became a vital crop across the country. They have an adaptability that works well in a country with differing regions, soils and climates. Nepalis are able to grow potatoes in areas where other crops could not thrive, thereby enabling them to produce a commodity that has taken a featured spot in their cuisine.

PIRO ALU DUM

Recipe from Cookpad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 4 medium sized potatoes, cut into 4 pieces
• 10 cloves garlic
• 2 whole red chiles
• 1 medium sized tomato paste
• Salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chile powder
• 3 tablespoons mustard oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kalonji
• 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 2 tablespoons cilantro (coriander leaves)

Directions:

1. Boil the potatoes. Peel the potatoes. Heat a pot of water to boiling. Add potatoes and boil until tender. Remove from heat and drain the potatoes. While the potatoes are boiling, mince the garlic cloves and chiles, and then combine the two into a paste. 

2. Prepare the tomato-spice paste. In a bowl, add the garlic-chile paste, tomato paste, salt, turmeric powder and Kashmiri chile powder. Mix well. 

3. Finish the dish. Heat the oil in the pan on medium heat. Add kalonji and fenugreek seeds. Add potatoes and stir, mixing well. Add the tomato-spice paste and mix well. Add hot water and continue to cook, while the sauce thickens. Once the sauce is at the desired consistency, add coriander leaves and serve hot. 

*    *    *

In the end, I am grateful for having the opportunity to prepare this meal. I am much more grateful for taking the time to learn about the roles that the primary ingredients -- goat meat and potatoes -- has had in Nepali life and cuisine. Not everything that I read is reflected in this post. But, I wanted to make sure one thing is prominently set forth here ... the importance of development programs to help the poor lift themselves out of their poverty, and the critical work of those who oversee and implement those programs. Their work takes on moral and ethical obligations, which are gravely under threat. That is best saved for another post. Until then ... 

PEACE.

Roasted Curry Wings

In all of my years of cooking, including the more than ten years that I have been experimenting with various curries, I had never heard of roasted curry powder. Sure, I have seen and heard of a variety of curry powders. Those powders were just that - curry powders. The notion of a roasted curry powder seemed strange to me.

Yet, roasted curry powders play a feature role in Sri Lankan cuisine. It often serves as a fundamental component of a Sri Lankan curry. That is saying something for a cuisine that is known for currying anything and everything. Indeed, "rice and curry" is often known not just as the national dish of Sri Lanka, but it is also a phrase that could describe most of the dishes prepared in that country. 

This is why I love Sri Lankan cuisine. I am even preparing a personal culinary challenge to prepare a Sri Lankan dinner as part of my Around the World in 80 Dishes personal culinary challenge. It has taken a lot of time to prepare, partly because I am taking a substantial amount of effort to research the dishes; and, partly because I am a little intimidated. I have a lot of high expectations for a cuisine that I find truly fascinating and I want the end result to be as good as my expectations. (Any shortcoming will be due to my lack of experience as opposed to the cuisine itself.)

In any event, some very good friends and neighbors (one of whom is from Sri Lanka) know about my desire to prepare a dinner from the Pearl of the Indian Ocean (as the country is sometimes called). They provided me with a birthday gift consisting of a big bag of roasted curry powder. I have been working to incorporate that powder into my personal culinary challenge. However, in the meantime, I wanted to put it to a more immediate use. Nothing is more immediate for me than a chicken wing recipe.

I tried to find some history about how roasted curry powder came to be, but, any history of the powder seems difficult to find. Most leads simply led me to recipes using the powder (much like this one will become, see below). 

In any event, roasted curry powders are used in Sri Lankan cuisine to prepare darker curries. (If one was looking to prepare a lighter curry, one could simply use a regular curry powder.) I used it to prepare a dry rub for chicken wings. I decided to add some other dry ingredients, which together effectively make a regular curry powder. While those additional ingredients boosted the dry rub, the roasted elements of the roasted curry powder were still very present in both the aroma and taste of these wings. I can't wait to explore the use of roasted curry powder more when I finally complete my Sri Lankan challenge as part of the Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge. 

ROASTED CURRY WINGS

A Chef Bolek Original Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon roasted curry powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek powder
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1 lemon juiced

Directions:

1. Prepare the marinade. Combine all of the powders in a small mixing bowl. Stir well until all powders are thoroughly mixed. Pour the coconut milk and lemon juice into a larger bowl. Stir the spice mix into the coconut milk mixture. Add the chicken wings and toss to coat. Let the wings marinate for at least an hour.

2. Grill the wings. Heat a gas grill or charcoal grill over medium high heat. Oil the grate. Add the wings and grill the wings for about 5 to 7 minutes before turning them. Grill for another 7 minutes or until the wings reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

ENJOY!

Smoked Chicken with African Spice Rub

The creative process at Chef Bolek is rather unique, as this recipe demonstrates. I recently saw some really good friends were at Walt Disney World. They just noted that they were getting ready to go to Animal Kingdom, which happens to be probably my favorite park (although Epcot is probably a close second because of all of the international pavilions). Whenever we visited Animal Kingdom, we would usually end up at a restaurant at the Animal Kingdom lodge. That restaurant is Boma, which serves up a buffet of African foods that I would just gorge upon every time we went there. Thinking about my friends being there got me to thinking I should make something influenced by African flavors. That brought about this recipe and this blog post ... Smoked Chicken with African Spice Rub. 

As with any Chef Blog post, there is a larger question. That question revolves around the rub. What exactly is an "African Spice Rub" or, put differently, what makes the spice rub "African"? 

Let's start with what exactly is an African Spice rub? Many people would probably answer that question with Ras en Hanout, Harissa or Baharat. Those are African spice rubs, but they originate in northern Africa.  Others may answer the question with Berbere (which happens to be one of my all-time favorite spice rubs). That spicy rub comes from the Horn of Africa. Indeed, much of the talk around "African" spice rubs focuses on blends that come from those two regions. Don't get me wrong, they are African rubs. But there is a lot more of Africa than the Maghreb or the Horn.

It is that simple point that becomes the focus of my thoughts. What are some sub-Saharan spice rubs? Truth be told, I have already dabbled in at least one of those rubs, the iconic Suya. I have made a version of the rub from both Ghana and Nigeria. (The Rago Suya from Nigeria stands as perhaps my favorite kebab to make.)  The key to that spice mix is the use of peanuts, along with ginger and chiles.

There are no peanuts in this recipe. Instead, it draws from other spices that can be found across the continent. These spices include mustard, fennel seeds, fenugreek and, of course peppers. I decided to use this recipe on a chicken that was destined for the smoker.  However, while the recipe called for the temperature of the smoker to be somewhere between 225 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit, I decided to smoke it at a higher temperature - around 300 degrees. It cooked a lot faster, but I thought it would be a little more reminiscent of street food. (To be truly reminiscent, I should have probably just grilled it, but I went for something in-between smoking and grilling.)

In the end, this recipe was a success. The spice mix actually shined through the smoke, with the fennel seeds - along with the pepper - clearly making its presence felt. This recipe will have me spending more time trying to answer what makes a spice rub African. Until next time ...

SMOKED CHICKEN WITH AFRICAN SPICE RUB

Spice rub recipe adapted from Food Fidelity

Serves 2-4

Ingredients (for the spice rub):

• 3 tablespoons smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 tablespoon fenugreek
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Ingredients (for the chicken):

• 1 whole chicken (between 3-4 pounds), spatchcocked
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 3-4 chunks of oak wood (soaked for 1 hour in advance)

Directions:

1. Prepare the spice rub. If you are using ground spices, combine all of the ingredients together well. If you are using whole seeds, lightly toast the mustard, fennel and fenugreek seeds in a skillet over medium heat. Remove once you small the aroma. Place the seeds in a spice grinder and coarsely grind.  Add the ground spices to a bowl and mix with the remaining seasonings and sugar. 

2. Marinate the chicken. Apply the spice rub to all sides of the chicken, both on the skin and underneath it. Refrigerate the chicken for at least four hours or overnight.

3. Smoke the chicken. Prepare the smoker and get the temperature to at least 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the chicken and then the wood for smoking. Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thighs. Spray the chicken breasts with the apple cider every twenty minutes after the first hour of cooking. 

ENJOY!

Lobia Masala

It is well known that black eyed peas are supposed to bring good luck when served and eaten on New Year's Day.  In the United States, black eyed peas are often served on their own, or as part of Hoppin John.  While I have made Hoppin John in the past, I wanted to try to make something different.  That led to a very long search across the Internet for a recipe.  The search resulted in a recipe for Lobia Masala or black eyed pea masala. (Lobia is the name for these peas in Punjabi and Hindi.)

This particular recipe comes from the Punjab region of India. The spice mix of ginger ,cumin, coriander, fenugreek, chile, and turmeric. As with any recipe, there are many different versions of Lobia Masala.  Some recipes have a tomato onion base; and, others vary from a creamy gravy to a dry masala. 

In the end, I found a recipe in perhaps the one place that I would never have thought about: Birmingham Magazine.  That is Birmingham, Alabama. There was an article about three different black eye pea recipes, with the third one being a Lobia Masala.  I have to admit that I was a little wary about this recipe, especially given there was no provenance (that is, any reference to its origin). Nevertheless, the recipe produced a very tasty masala.  It reminded me once again why Indian food of my favorite cuisines to cook and eat.   

LOBIA MASALA

Recipe from Birmingham Magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup onion, diced
1 tomato, chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 teaspoons cumin seed, divided

1 tablespoon coriander seed

2 teaspoon fenugreek powder

1/4 teaspoon red chile powder

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon mango powder (optional)

1 tablespoon cooking oil

3 cups water

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

Directions:

1. Prepare the peas.  Soak the peas.  After the peas have been soaked, fill a large pot with water, add the peas, cover and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, tilting the lid slightly to allow steam to escape and leave to cook for up to an hour, or until tender. 

2.  Prepare the masala.  Puree the tomato, onion and ginger in a food processor. Set aside.  In a mortar or spicemill, grind 1 teaspoon of cumin seed and all coriander seed into a powder.  Combine with fenugreek, chile powder, turmeric, salt and optional mango powder.  Set aside. 

3.  Continue to prepare the masala.  Add oil to a large skillet or pot on medium heat.  Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon of cumin seed and lest sit until seeds start to pop.  Stir in reserved puree.  Stir in spice mixture and cook 7 to 10 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent scorching. 

4.  Cook the peas.  Mash 2 tablespoons of cooked peas.  Add remaining peas to the pot and stir in the mashed peas.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in garam masala at the last minute.  

5.  Finish the dish.  Serve with steamed basmati rice or an Indian bread like naan or chapati.  

ENJOY!

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Guyana

My next personal culinary challenge takes me to South America, but, for an experience unlike any of my prior challenges on the continent.  To date, my challenges have involved making a main course from Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay. All of these challenges involved dishes that, for some reason, I associate with South America, whether it is the Ceviche de Corvina (Black Sea Bass Ceviche) from Ecuador, or the indigenous Guarani dish of So'o-Yosopy (Beef Soup) from Paraguay or, one of my all-time favorites, the Chivitos al Pan of Uruguay.  This challenge is different from my prior ones, because it involves preparing a main course from the country of Guyana.  And, Guyana is far different than most of South America, walking to its own ... calypso beat.

That different beat plays primarily because of history.  The present day Co-operative Republic of Guyana was previously known as British Guiana.  The years of colonization left its mark on the country and its people.  The largest segment of the Guyanese population are the Indo-Guyanese (also known as East Indians).  These individuals descend from the indentured servants brought by the British Empire from the Indian subcontinent to work the plantations of Guyana. The Indo-Guyanese make up forty-three percent (43%) of the population, which is substantially more than the next largest group, the Afro-Guyanese, who make up thirty percent (30%) of the population.  Like the Indo-Guyanese, the Afro-Guyanese trace their lineage to African slaves who were brought to the country.  Guyanese of mixed heritage are approximately sixteen (16%) of the population, while the natives (first nations) are slightly more than nine percent (9%) of the population .

The large segments of Indian and Africa descendants, as well as the history of Guyana as a colony of the British Empire, has had its effect on the cuisine of the country.  Guyanese curries are very popular, as are rotis, dal and rice.  These dishes and meals speak to the Indian influence on the cuisine (an influence that is similarly shared amongst former British colonies in the Caribbean). This influence served as the inspiration for my personal culinary challenge.  The main dish would be one that reflected the cuisine of a plurality of modern-day Guyanese.

MAIN COURSE

The Indian influence means that the main course will be a curry.  However, it is not just any curry.  As it turns out, my beautiful Angel bought me nearly fifteen (15) pounds of goat meat.  As I perused goat recipes on the Internet, I found a few recipes for a goat curry from Guyana.  The recipes followed a similar path as curry recipes from India.  There were the spices -- toasted whole spices such as coriander, cloves, and black peppercorns -- that were ground together with turmeric.  The ground spices were then incorporated into a paste of onions and garlic, and then sauteed before the protein is added. The curry then cooks for a couple of hours, until that meat is fork tender and ready to be spooned into a bowl with rice.   While there are an abundance of curry dishes in Guyana, using the entire range of proteins, it was the goat curry recipes that both captured my attention and were the most useful.  After all, I had 15 pounds of goat meat.

The main course, Goat Curry, not only reflects the food of a significant portion of the Guyanese people, but also underscores some important notes about the role of agriculture in the Guyanese economy.  The agricultural sector accounts for 50% of the foreign exchange earnings and about 40% of the workforce.   While sugar represents the largest crop, rice accounts for 18% of the agricultural sector and livestock accounts for 16% of that sector, both of which are significant amounts. (All of these stats are courtesy of the South American Commission for the Fight against Foot and Mouth Disease.) With respect to the livestock, there are approximately 82,000 goats in Guyana. While 82,000 goats would place Guyana somewhere around the 126th country when it comes to goat production, those 82,000 goats, taken together, are significant to Guyana.

In the end, this is a dish that draws from various aspects of Guyana, its people and its economy.  It also reflects the common bonds that the Guyanese share with the Caribbean, especially the English-speaking islands, such as Trinidad and Tobago.  For these reasons, the challenge is to make a main course of Guyanese Goat Curry.

GUYANESE GOAT CURRY

Recipe from The Nasty Bits

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds goat meat for stewing

1 lemon

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 teaspoons fenugreek

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 onion 

A few cloves of garlic

A few tablespoons of oil

Directions:

1. Prepare the goat meat.  Rinse the goat meat under cold running water and place in a pot or large bowl. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the pot, toss in the lemon rind and fill the vessel with water so that all of the goat meat is covered.  Let sit for 30 minutes.  

2. Prepare the spices.  Place all of the spices except the ground turmeric into a heavy skillet.  Over medium heat, toast the spices, moving the seeds around so that the surface comes into contact evenly with the heat.  The spices will be done when the mustard seeds begin to pop and the cumin seeds are a shade darker, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Immediately remove the pan from the turmeric powder to the pan.  Stir around.  Place all of the spices into a spice grinder and process until finely ground. 

3.  Prepare the spice paste.  In a food processor or blender, puree the onions and garlic with just enough water to create a thick paste.  A few tablespoons of water should suffice.  Transfer the paste to a small bowl and add the toasted and ground spices.  Mix thoroughly to make a thick paste. 

4.  Cook the goat meat.  In a medium sized pot, add a few tablespoons of oil as well as the spice paste.  Toast the paste in the oil for 30 seconds to a minute, taking care not to burn the mixture.  Then add the goat meat and stir around, cooking the meat for a minute or so in the fragrant oil.

5.  Continue cooking the goat meat.  Add enough water to cover the meat.  Bring the water to boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 1/2 or so hours, until the meat is tender.  Toward the end, de-fat the broth by skimming the surface with a broad spoon.  Alternatively, if you are making the recipe in advance, refrigerate the curry and allow the fat to solidify at the top.  Serve with plenty of rice to sop up the goat broth. 

*          *          *

This challenge represents my fifth challenge that involves a curry or similar dish (to date, I have made Bhutanese Pig Trotter Curry, Mauritian Duck Curry, Indian Rogan Josh, and Pakistani Karashi Gosht).  This may speak to the ubiquitous nature of curry dishes. It has also helped me to gain experience in making a type of dish that I really like.  (I eat a lot of curries, when I can.)  Overall, the Guyanese Goat Curry was very good, although the curry "sauce" was a little too thin for me.  Still, the flavors were there and the dish was a very good first effort at cooking with goat.  Given that I still have about twelve (12) pounds of goat to cook.  So, this won't be my last effort or, for that matter, my last personal challenge to cook a dish from a country using goat.  Until next time ...

ENJOY!

Malabar Mussels

When one thinks of strength, the first thing that comes to mind is muscles.  However, for many women in the southern Indian state of Kerala, it is mussels that give them strength.  Green mussels or perna viridis, to be exact. Back in the 1990s, local villages along the Indian Ocean coastline began to start farming mussels as a way to make a living.  Mussel farming exploded in the region and, overall, India rose to become one of the largest producers of green mussels in the world.  

The most important thing about mussel farming in Kerala, at least to me, is found in a study by V. Kripa and K.S. Mohamed.  Their study is entitled "Green Mussel, Perna Viridis, Farming in Kerala, India - Technology Diffusion Process and Socioeconomic Impacts" (2008).   As Kripa and Mohamed report, there were three types of ownership when it came to mussel farms.  There were individual ownership and family ownership, both of which are self-explanatory.  And, there was "self-help group" ownership or SHG ownership.  There were only about 17 to 20 SHG mussel farms, all of which were located in one district (the Kasgorod district) of Kerala  

The SHG mussel farms are the key to empowering women.  As both Kripa and Mohamed found, "[t]he biggest outcome of mussel farming in Kerala was the empowerment of women with 87% of the SHG farms owned by women." The SHG is a formal organization, with officers and group meetings.  This organization makes it easier for women to obtain financial assistance and support from local banks and the government. Those 17 to 20 SHG mussel farms have enabled as many as 2,000 women to become active in an economic activity, which enables them to better support themselves and their families.  The SHGs not only help to alleviate poverty, but they also empower women not only in the economic workplace, but also when it comes to decision-making in their homes.

This recipe demonstrates what can be made with those green mussels, as well as blue and black mussels that are traditionally found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  It incorporates a wide range of ingredients, especially in the Malabar Masala.  (One note: don't let the fact that you can't find some of the masala ingredients -- like the curry leaf powder -- stop you from making the dish.  The masala will still be great.)  Along with the masala, the combination of fresh chiles, ginger, garlic, and red onions also provide an interesting array of range of tastes and flavors.  The sauce was so good that I decided to serve the dish with some rice, which could help to soak up some of the sauce.  I hated to see that sauce go to waste.   

MALABAR MUSSELS

Adapted from Smita Chandra's recipe published by Saveur

Serves 2-4

Ingredients (for the mussels):

3 tablespoons of canola oil

6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

2 small green Thai chiles or 1 serrano, thinly sliced

1 two-inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons of Malabar Masala (recipe below)

3 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 14 ounce can of coconut milk

Kosher salt, to taste

2 1/2 pounds of mussels, debearded, rinsed and scrubbed

1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro

Cooked white rice, for serving (optional)

Ingredients (for the Malabar Masala):

1/4 cup of coriander seeds

2 tablespoons of cumin seeds

2 tablespoons of fennel seeds

1 tablespoon of green cardamom pods

1 tablespoon of whole cloves

1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon of whole black peppercorns

2 star anise

2 sticks of cinnamon

2 tablespoons of dessicated coconut

2 tablespoons of dried fenugreek leaves

1 tablespoon of crushed red chile flakes

1/3 cup of curry leaf powder

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Directions:

1.  Prepare the Malabar Masala.  Heat a 10 inch skillet over medium high heat.  Cook coriander, cumin, fennel, cardamom, cloves, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, peppercorns, star anise, and cinnamon sticks until fragrant and toasted, about 3-4 minutes.  Add coconut, fenugreek leaves and chile flakes, cook until the coconut is golden, 2 minutes.  Let cool and then transfer to a spice grinder along with curry leaf powder, ginger, and turmeric.  Grind into a powder and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.  

2.  Prepare the base.  Heat oil in a 6 quart saucepan over medium high heat.  Cook garlic, chiles, ginger, and onion until golden, about 4 to 6 minutes.  Add masala and tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 5 to 7 minutes. 

3.  Cook the mussels.  Add coconut milk, salt, and 1/4 cup of water and bring to a boil.  Add the mussels.  Cook covered, occasionally shaking pan until all mussels are opened, about 5 minutes.  Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

ENJOY!

Savage Boleks' Smoked Turkey

When people think of barbecue, thoughts turn to pork shoulders, ribs and beef brisket.  My thoughts turn to a wide range of meats when it comes to smoking.  Many of the more interesting barbecue projects have been done in collaboration with my father-in-law, Frank.  These projects include our smoked salmon fillets and smoked mullet spread.  

Recently, I collaborated with Frank on another BBQ project: smoked turkey.  My beautiful Angel eats turkey at Thanksgiving, and, more recently, has eaten some of my turkey dishes.  So, we decided to smoke a turkey so that everyone -- Clare's parents, Clare and myself -- could have something to eat.  

The meat was chosen, which then raised several questions.  First, do we smoke a whole turkey or just parts of a turkey (like a turkey breast, or turkey thighs)?  We seriously considered smoking an entire turkey.  This posed some serious issues, given the white meat and dark meat cook at different speeds and need to reach different temperatures.  There is also the secondary question of whether to cook the bird as is, or spatchcock the bird (that is, remove the backbone so the entire bird lays flat).  If we spatchcocked the turkey, we would have to cut it into two halves in order to fit into the smoker. All of these questions became moot, however, because I could not find a good sized, fresh turkey.  The best turkey was a whopping 21 pounds, which was way to big for our endeavor.

A couple of the smoked turkey thighs.

Thus, we decided to smoke a turkey breast and turkey thighs. The use of cut turkey parts would definitely shorten the cooking time, which would allow us to speed up the cooking time and allow us to enjoy the meat sooner rather than later.

Second, there is the question of using a brine.  A brine is a solution of water and salt.  Placing meat into this solution for a period of time helps to add moisture to the meat.  This added moisture is particularly helpful when it comes to cooking or smoking meats that have a low fat content, like turkey.  We decided to use a brine and, because we were using cut turkey parts, we decided to brine the turkey for about an hour.

The smoked turkey breast.

Third, there was the question of the rub and/or sauce.  We decided to do just a rub.  Frank searched for various turkey rubs, and, then he came across one that had a list of rather unusual ingredients ... at least for turkey.  Cardamom, ginger, turmeric, allspice, cloves, coriander and fenugreek.  All of those ingredients sounded like the perfect components of a rub.  After all, I have previously experimented with spices and turkey, making turkey thighs rubbed with an Egyptian Baharat spice mixture.  So, we decided to use the rather unusual combination of spices as the rub for the turkey.  This was perhaps the best decision we made in our preparations, because that spice mixture produced an amazingly, flavorful meat.

Finally, there was the question of the two additional flavor elements.  There are three elements to consider: wood, liquid and basting sauce.   When it comes to wood, the general rule calls for fruit woods, like apple or cherry.  So, we chose apple wood. When it came to the liquid bowl (that is, the bowl that is between the meat and the coals), we used a combination of apple juice and water, along with some keffir lime leaves.  The leaves were inspired by the ingredients in the rub.   The basting sauce also was very simple: just some apple juice.  We began the basting after the meat had been in the smoker for two hours.

In the end, the turkey turned out perfect.  The turkey thighs were delicious, with the rub providing an interesting array of flavors.  As for the turkey breast, the use of the brine ensured that the breast meat did not dry out during the cooking process and remained juicy with a lot of moisture notwithstanding the hours of smoking.   This barbecue project worked out so well that I have since smoked some more turkey thighs using the same brine and rub process.  The results were the same: delicious, flavorful and juicy turkey, which did not need any sauce.

SAVAGE BOLEKS' SMOKED TURKEY

A Chef Bolek Collaboration

Serves Many

Ingredients (for the Brine):

16 cups of water

1/2 cup of salt

Ingredients (for the Spice Rub):

3 tablespoons of ground cardamom

3 tablespoons of ground ginger

2 tablespoons of ground turmeric

2 tablespoons of ground coriander

1 tablespoon of ground allspice

3 tablespoons of ground black pepper

2 tablespoons of ground cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon of ground cloves

3 tablespoons of ground fenugreek

Ingredients (for the turkey):

8 pounds of turkey (1 four pound breast and 4 pounds of thighs)

Kaffir lime leaves

2 cups of apple juice

Chunks of apple wood

Directions:

1.  Brine the turkey.  Add the water to a large pot.  Add the salt and stir until it dissolves.  Add the turkey breast and thighs.  Allow the meat to brine for one hour.  After an hour has passed, remove the meat, rinse well, and dry thoroughly.

2.  Prepare the rub for the turkey.   Add all of the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl.  Apply the rub to all surfaces of the turkey. 

3.  Prepare the smoker.  Get a fire going for the smoker.  Once the coals are ready, add the liquid bowl, which should be filled with water and kaffir lime leaves.  Add the grates.

4.  Smoke the turkey.  If you have two levels, place the breast on the lower level with the skin side up.  Place the thighs on the higher level with the skin side up.  Smoke until the white meat reaches 160 degrees Fahreneheit and the dark meat reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit.  It will take approximately one half hour for every pound of meat.  After about two hours, baste the turkey with some apple juice.  Once the meat reaches the desired temperature, wrap the meat in foil and allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes but preferably 30 minutes.  During that time, the meat should cook another 5 to 10 degrees and be ready for slicing or pulling.  Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Soft Shell Crab Curry, Goan-Style

As we continue to enjoy our soft-shell crabs that we got from the Outer Banks (the greatest thing about frozen soft shell crabs is that we can enjoy them over time), I have been thinking about how I can use these crabs in different recipes.  I previously made Soft Shell Crab Po' Boys with an Avocado Remoulade.  Now, my mind turned to making a soft shell crab curry. 

I did not want to make just any curry.  I wanted to make a curry in the style of a particular city or region of India.  Two thoughts immediately came to mind -- Goa and Kerala.  Goa, which is the smallest state of India, is probably best known for Vindaloo, a spicy curry that is one of my favorites.  The two most prominent ingredients in a Goan curry are the chiles and tamarind.  I know a lot less about curries from Kerala, although I was able to find a crab curry dish called Njandu Kari, which is Crab Curry with Fried Coconut.  Eventually, I decided to make the curry in the Goan style.  I found a recipe from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, which I used as a guide for this dish.  This meant a spicy curry, along with a few firsts for me.

One of the firsts for me was to make a curry powder from scratch.  Fortunately, the recipe that I was using as a guide provided me with most of the ingredients to make the curry.  The one issue was that I did not have any fresh chiles such as Serranos or Thai chiles.  However, I did have dried chiles, particularly the Indian Sanaam chiles.  I used four of Sanaam chiles to make the curry.  Sanaam chiles are very spicy and, in turn, they made the curry very spicy.  While it was fine for me, it is probably too much for most people.  I would recommend that, for people trying this recipe for the first time, to use two or three Sanaam chiles, which will lessen the heat of the dish.

The other first for me was the use of fresh coconut.  I have never cooked with a fresh coconut before; and, after some Internet research, I was ready to use this ingredient.  For those who don't know (like me before this dish), you need to drain the coconut water by opening holes in the coconut.  There are three spots on the coconut, which are the weakest part of the nut.  Hammer a nail through each spot and then remove the nail to open the hole.  Then hammer a nail through the other end of the coconut to create a fourth hole.  Drain the coconut water and reserve it.  (I used it to make the rice for this dish.)  Then wrap the coconut in a towel and find the nearest slab of concrete.  Begin pounding on the coconut until you break it open. Once the coconut is opened, you need to cut out the flesh and then grate it for the recipe.  The recipe only needs a quarter cup of grated coconut, so you will have a lot left over.  

So, without further ado ...

SOFT SHELL CRAB CURRY, GOAN-STYLE

Adapted from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

4 soft shell crabs, cleaned

1 tablespoon of ground coriander

1 tablespoon of black peppercorns

6 cloves

8 cardamom pods (I used 2 black pods and 6 green pods)

1 tablespoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

2 teaspoons of ground fenugreek

3 tablespoons of canola oil

2 medium onions, one finely diced, one sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely diced

2-4 dried chiles (such as Sanaam chiles)

2 tablespoons of fresh ginger, minced

1 fourteen ounce can of coconut milk

1/4 cup of freshly grated coconut

1 heaping tablespoon of tamarind paste

1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt, to taste

Directions:

1.  Make the curry mix.   Toast the peppercorns, cardamom, and cloves in a dry skillet until fragrant, about a couple of minutes.  Then take it off the heat and let it cool for a minute.  Grind the spices into a fine powder.  Add the coriander, cumin, fenugreek and chiles.  Grind to incorporate the chiles and spices with the other spices.

2.  Begin the saute.  Saute the chopped onion in one tablespoon of oil until soft without browning them.  Add the garlic and ginger, continuing to saute for about two more minutes.  

3.  Blend the ingredients.   Take the onion mixture and put it into a food processor or blender.  Add the spice mix and puree the onion mixture.  While pureeing the mixture, add the water.  

4.  Saute the soft shell crabs.  Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan on medium high heat.  Add the soft shell crabs, top down.  Let the crabs saute for about three to four minutes and then flip them.  Cook them for another three to four minutes.  Remove them from the heat and cut each soft shell into quarters.

5.  Add the coconut and onions.  Pour the coconut milk into a pot and heat it over medium heat until it simmers.  Add the sliced onions and grated coconut and let it cook for three to four minutes at an active simmer.  

6.  Finish the dish.  Add the curry and mix well.  Add the tamarind paste and mix again.  Salt to taste.  Mix in the crab and cook until heated through.  Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro. 

Overall, I really liked this dish.  I think it was close to a Goan curry, because it was very spicy.  However, it was too spicy for Clare.  So, in that respect, I needed to pay a little more attention to the heat level.  After all, my Angel is my continuing inspiration for cooking and it is important for me to make sure that she can eat my dishes.  Until next time ...

ENJOY!