tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82641292578902823682024-03-16T18:50:01.348+00:00Oh! Not Another Food BlogIt's all about fud. Some Indian stuff, quick(ish) recipes, product reviews, other random thoughts, and various combinations of the above. All brought to you from the heart of Cambridge.TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.comBlogger181125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-39259138802512892132017-01-30T17:03:00.005+00:002017-01-30T17:03:53.900+00:00Hello cruel worldJust in case anyone is still reading my much neglected food blog, I'm now writing over here- <a href="https://ireenareviewsfilms.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">ireenareviewsfilms.wordpress.com</a><br />
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Also, boo hoo about my beloved Teri-Aki closing last year. As if 2016 wasn't shit enough.
TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-80652162990469219932015-04-30T20:54:00.000+01:002015-04-30T20:56:58.395+01:00Dinners from north and south (India)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgP1uC6F7VzpUh01ajmmfVhLavhwPlooMbpCSsOt4KAHMH-exgKWDO3NNvia5-9GA0ZoWvG5rGB44Dx6w2CpEk6teNC4OHwXLJGcCELUUPYb885G2D6GPkQg8kruBXTTpQto_pBVs0nTir/s1600/dosa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgP1uC6F7VzpUh01ajmmfVhLavhwPlooMbpCSsOt4KAHMH-exgKWDO3NNvia5-9GA0ZoWvG5rGB44Dx6w2CpEk6teNC4OHwXLJGcCELUUPYb885G2D6GPkQg8kruBXTTpQto_pBVs0nTir/s1600/dosa.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></div>
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Continuing the theme of accidentally vegan food, here are some other Indian dishes that I cooked during my vegan month. As I utilised a range of ready-made elements these were actually speedy enough to prepare quickly after work too. Firstly from the south of India, the classic masala dosa, and also the classic Gits dosa mix. It's going to be very hard to replicate a proper paper thin dosa at home, but actually the Git's mixes work pretty well even if my dosas were a little on the thick side. I cooked quick potato filling to go in them, as well as a green beans thoran.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcmBrAxSFY86Eu6cUm8YAW0V6CmRb68hgcuUHmxy6siDWzZizCx0_MngOxWf_fUJGnMnruAPQrTE8im92UlxebDK5fPbsSaSCtQo-ksSF2pEQNpNkZblZkSAuE54bMoksctmuMCl4KL0JN/s1600/gits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcmBrAxSFY86Eu6cUm8YAW0V6CmRb68hgcuUHmxy6siDWzZizCx0_MngOxWf_fUJGnMnruAPQrTE8im92UlxebDK5fPbsSaSCtQo-ksSF2pEQNpNkZblZkSAuE54bMoksctmuMCl4KL0JN/s1600/gits.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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I basically used this <a href="http://mykitchenantics.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/beans-thoran-and-mooru-kachiyathu.html" target="_blank">recipe for the beans</a>, which proved to be excellent; fresh and crunchy, beans and coconut are an excellent combination. The potato masala was a simple mix of a medium potato, carrot, onions and peas with some added flavourings. Firstly fry a couple of teaspoons of mustard seeds in some hot oil until they start popping, and then fling in a small handful of curry leaves, around a tablespoon of ginger paste, a medium chopped potato, a small chopped onion, and a generous sprinkling of salt. Turn the heat down, put a lid on and leave until the potato is virtually cooked through. You can also add a little water if things are starting to stick. Then put a couple of handfuls of frozen peas in, and put the lid back on. Once the peas and potato are fully cooked, add a small handful of roasted cashew nuts, and give everything a good mix. Once the vegetables are done, I made up the dosa mix and cooked these in a non-stick pan. You'll definitely need to work quickly to spread the mix to get it as thin as possible, but even if they are bit on the thick side, they are still very tasty.<br />
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Moving further north, I utilised some ready-made <a href="http://www.shana.tv/products.html#breads" target="_blank">Shana parathas</a> to go with my soya mince keema. I always tend to have a packet of these in the freezer as they are very handy for emergency dinners, and on further investigation I also discovered that they are vegan (huzzah). Soy mince, like Quorn, is pretty flavourless so you need to be very generous with your other flavours. For this keema I fried two red, sliced onions in a couple of tablespoons of plain oil, with a couple of bay leaves, a stick of cinnamon, and two cardamom pods. Once the onion was softened and slightly browned, I added 2 tablespoons of garlic/ginger paste, a heaped teaspoon of chilli flakes, and good sprinkling of salt. This was all cooked over a medium heat, until the onions were nicely browned. At this point I added 3 teaspoons of garam masala, and 1 teaspoon each of ground coriander and ground cumin. After allowing the spices to fry for a bit, I tipped in around 300g of vegan soy mince. Once everything was well mixed and heated through (around 10 minutes), a couple of handfuls of frozen peas went in, and I left everything to simmer gently until they were cooked through. You should end up with a dry and spicy keema, which can be neatly scooped up by some hot off the pan parathas.<br />
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So there you have it, two pretty speedy dinners, which are full of flavour and spice and just happen to be vegan.TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-9434434007210415892015-04-20T20:45:00.001+01:002015-04-20T20:45:39.230+01:00Chickpea chaat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I mentioned before, Indian food is probably the easiest vegan food to prepare. Lots of it is accidentally vegan, and it's damn tasty. This is part recipe, part assembly job for a snack that can be easily expanded into a full-on meal. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaat" target="_blank">Chaat</a> is the Hindi name for the Indian snack foods that are frequently available when you're out and about in any major town. They usually have a fried, crispy element, partnered with something sharp and tangy, and so of course are delicious. Here's my version of a cheat's chickpea (channa) chaat (I win at alliteration). You could definitely make your own tamarind chutney and channa masala spice mix, but I don't know anyone who makes their own chaat masala, so think I've still a good level of authenticity!<br />
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This version is vegan, but you could add a bit of yogurt on top too, especially if you make your chickpeas uber-spicy. Or indeed use a non-dairy, plain yogurt and still keep it vegan.<br />
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Recipe (enough for 4 hearty snack-sized portions)<br />
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For the channa masala- <br />
1 tin cooked chickpeas, ideally kala channa (around 400g)<br />
1 small onion, finely sliced<br />
Half a thumb-sized piece of ginger, squashed to a paste<br />
2 fat garlic cloves, crushed <br />
1 dried bay leaf <br />
1 tblsp channa masala spice mix<br />
0.5 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional, as the spice mix should contain chilli too)<br />
2 tsp sundried tomato puree<br />
A little oil<br />
A little water<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KNSaB3gsrLBn6z6BkgkjFAh5R8N1efAT-6Ii9iAmIcpFCzGxZMSymMBHbjHYGCLPDwD2LDs2Hrs91Tj6_bqrsYVIVLc4Ck0M4SaDCL6Aroub4aTHSUWCUvU9eULXaspo8FMp7TZ5Fi16/s1600/mix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KNSaB3gsrLBn6z6BkgkjFAh5R8N1efAT-6Ii9iAmIcpFCzGxZMSymMBHbjHYGCLPDwD2LDs2Hrs91Tj6_bqrsYVIVLc4Ck0M4SaDCL6Aroub4aTHSUWCUvU9eULXaspo8FMp7TZ5Fi16/s1600/mix.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I purchased the above from my local Indian supermarket, but the chutney and bhujia below were available from Tesco.</span></i></div>
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To make the channa masala heat a tablespoon or so of a plain oil in a pan, and when hot (but not smoking) tip in the onions and bay leaf. Stir and leave the onions to soften a bit. When they are lightly browned, add the ginger, garlic and chilli and cook for a few more minutes, before adding the spice mix. Give everything a good mix and leave to cook for a few more minutes until the spices lose their raw edge. Then add the tomato puree, and a little water to stop things sticking. Drain the cooked chickpeas and add to the pan, and simmer for 10-15 minutes (adding a little more water if needed, to make a thick 'gravy'). If you're using a ready made channa masala mix, it's unlikely you'll need any extra salt but do check.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwt0IX6ZH6xc_1bRvmeb-OKpZbSdtNWKLOjJIuuaaAuiveRfk2uMwW02CkNXpKBkuYcZVuKtlxkuB7H6v5YfogPE89kwj7oY32yXh2-8tNI4P889QmfgZc1WkUGNs5Hp7QSDnbs3ERWZWH/s1600/haldiram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwt0IX6ZH6xc_1bRvmeb-OKpZbSdtNWKLOjJIuuaaAuiveRfk2uMwW02CkNXpKBkuYcZVuKtlxkuB7H6v5YfogPE89kwj7oY32yXh2-8tNI4P889QmfgZc1WkUGNs5Hp7QSDnbs3ERWZWH/s1600/haldiram.jpg" height="203" width="320" /></a>Once the chickpeas are done, here's a list of things to generously sprinkle on top of each individual portion:<br />
1 small red onion, finely chopped<br />
Small chunk of cucumber (seeds removed), finely chopped<br />
Several tblsp sev (thin chickpea noodles) or aloo bhujia<br />
Several tsps chaat masala<br />
Several tblsp tamarind chutney<br />
A tblsp or 2 of yogurt (optional)<br />
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Chaat masala contains kala namak (black salt) which is quite sulphurous and can be an acquired taste, but somehow becomes quite addictive, quite quickly. This is an excellent accidentally vegan dish, which combines spice with fried, crunchy things- how could it not be delicious?<br />
<br />TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-85178614454247851632015-03-25T15:05:00.002+00:002015-03-25T15:05:46.439+00:00A baked bean brunch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So here's a recipe that falls into the accidental vegan category. Home made baked beans form an excellent brunch option, and are more satisfactory than just pouring some out of a tin (though the work of Mr Heinz has its place too). Making them means that you have the option of adjusting the levels of seasoning and adding some extra flavours and spices too. For this batch I added a little chilli, but soy sauce, thyme, and mustard have all made appearances previously (though probably not together). Using tinned cooked beans might not seem quite in the spirit of things, but it does make this a pretty excellent meal to make from stuff in the cupboard, and without the need for soaking things overnight. I think a key aspect of these beans is the chunky tomato sauce base, and with some garlic mushrooms, and sliced avocado, this made a really filling and tasty winter (vegan) brunch. <br />
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Recipe (enough for around 4 people)<br />
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1 tin (410g) cannellini beans, drained<br />
1 tin (300g) haricot beans, drained<br />
2 small dried bay leaves<br />
1 medium white onion, finely chopped<br />
1 small carrot, finely chopped (optional)<br />
1 small stick celery, finely chopped <br />
2 fat cloves garlic, crushed<br />
1 tsp chilli flakes<br />
1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes<br />
1 fresh tomato, roughly chopped or handful of cherry tomatoes (optional) <br />
1 tsp dried mixed herbs<br />
1 tblsp sundried tomato puree<br />
1-2 tsp brown sugar<br />
1 tsp salt (or to taste)<br />
Some generous grinds of black pepper <br />
2-3 tblsp olive oil<br />
Some water<br />
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Warm the oil in a medium saucepan and then put in the onion, carrot, celery, and bay leaves. Stir well and leave to cook over a medium/low heat until the vegetables are soft (probably around 15 minutes), then add the garlic, dried herbs and chilli flakes and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add the fresh tomato if you're using any, and then the tinned toms and puree. Make sure everything is well mixed, stir in the sugar, salt and pepper, and pour in around half a tin can full of water. Leave the tomato sauce to simmer gently for around 30 minutes, adding a little more water if it ever looks super thick. Tip in the beans and simmer for another 5-10 minutes before checking the seasoning. Serve piping hot on some nice bread (I had some fancy sourdough and spelt and sunflower seed options), toasted and spread with something non-dairy (eg olive oil or a sunflower spread), and bask in the glow of being an accidental vegan.TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-13866391740393222462015-03-08T12:22:00.000+00:002015-03-09T13:23:50.900+00:00Vegan February<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVK4G5B86y_LgbwZA9sqaxYa3eurtbt9dvYvLOvW3upB4R1YN4VRgmQk8A6Hq8PPAujUTdUuH8DP3ZRsVRPmCx8R-luzmt8tFewAJQ2-6AdYMPUEZi1xNBcrcQFugi3gqoldrIInXjvox0/s1600/vegan2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVK4G5B86y_LgbwZA9sqaxYa3eurtbt9dvYvLOvW3upB4R1YN4VRgmQk8A6Hq8PPAujUTdUuH8DP3ZRsVRPmCx8R-luzmt8tFewAJQ2-6AdYMPUEZi1xNBcrcQFugi3gqoldrIInXjvox0/s1600/vegan2.jpg" height="320" width="317" /></a></div>
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I randomly decided to do <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/going-vegan-week-1.html" target="_blank">another vegan month</a> for February. I quite enjoyed it last time round, and now feel I have a lot more confidence in cooking in a vegan stylee, and not just falling back on a default option of Linda McCartney sausages and vegetables. This time round, I expanded into exploring some more vegan baking, cooked a lot more Indian food, and other food that just happened not to have dairy as a key ingredient. And I have to say I really enjoyed it again.<br />
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So here's my recipe for vegan apricot, pear and almond crumble with custard. In the depths of a gloomy February a hearty hot pudding was an essential, so I was delighted to discover that crumble and custard is very simple to veganise.<br />
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These days I usually buy ready-made, fresh custard from the supermarket, but googling revealed that the instant custard powders I remember as a kid were accidentally vegan; consisting of just cornflour, vanilla flavour, and colouring to be mixed with sugar and milk (no eggs involved!). So on this principle, I warmed a pint of almond milk with around 2 tblsp of caster sugar, until it was fully dissolved. I then made a loose paste with around 1.5 tblsp of corn flour and a little more milk, and gradually mixed that into the hot milk. Once the custard had thickened, I added 1 tsp of vanilla extract. You can just adjust the amount of cornflour so your custard is as thick or thin as you prefer. I suspect using soy milk would have resulted in a less nutty taste, but this was still very nice. Alternatively, you could just use Bird's custard powder with your plant-based milk of choice, for a fully traditional yellow custard.<br />
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The crumble was made with a fruit base of four sliced Rocha dessert pears, which did not require any advance cooking, and a tin of apricots halves (feel free to use fresh ones in the summer). The crumble topping consisted of 125g plain flour, 75g ground almonds, 75g sugar, 100g sunflower spread, and a handful of flaked almonds. Combine the flour, sugar, ground almonds and spread together and until they form loose crumbs and then stir in the other almonds. Scatter the topping on the fruit, and bake at gas mark five for around 25 minutes or until lightly browned on top, and serve with the hot custard. This should be enough for six people, or several helpings for two across a weekend.TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-16200077810950849822015-01-13T19:33:00.000+00:002015-01-14T12:56:40.314+00:00Cooking from Persiana and hello 2015!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i style="font-size: small;">Image from <a href="http://www.sabrinaghayour.com/" target="_blank">www.sabrinaghayour.com</a></i></div>
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I had some vague plans of getting some blog posts out before Christmas, but obviously that didn't happen, so apologies small but select readership. However, to make up for it, here is a post on what has become one of my favourite cook books. I am mildly embarrassed to admit that I think I got Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour for my birthday in the early summer, but didn't get round to cooking from it until last month. After this absurd delay, I thought I'd go for it and make our entire Christmas lunch with recipes from it. This would be the first time I cooked those recipes, but I laugh in the face of pressure (and had a back up plan of crisps and biscuits in place). So I am delighted to report that everything was flipping delicious (mega-apologies for the terrible picture but a lack of proper camera and the desire to eat, further diminished my limited photography skills).<br />
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My menu was mainly vegetarian, with a bit of fish. So from the top we have aubergine chermoula, mojardara (rice with lentils and crispy onions), borek (feta pastry cigars), citrus-spiced salmon with sumac, cacik (yoghurt with cucumber, garlic and dill), and butternut squash with pistachio pesto and pomegranate.<br />
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Persiana contains recipes from the Middle East and Iran, some traditional and some with a modern take, and handily for me has loads of vegetarian-friendly snacks, sides, and main dishes, as well as a scattering of fish. It's introduced me to lots of new spice combinations that I would never have considered before, as well as new takes on some of my favourite ingredients such as squash and aubergines. Everything I cooked for the holidays was packed with flavour, fresh but still comforting on a winter's day, and also pretty straight-forward to put together.<br />
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In fact I was so impressed by Xmas lunch, that I also made broad beans with garlic, dill and eggs (baghala ghatogh) and a pistachio and feta dip from Persiana for the new year (along with various other things). So a big thumbs up for Persiana. It's always good to find a chunky hardback that justifies its place on the bookshelf, and I have a feeling that I'll be cooking a lot more from it this year. TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-81241374088306091382014-11-15T14:17:00.000+00:002014-11-15T14:17:42.488+00:00Kalakand- the easy way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I like to think that I'm on top of the latest food trends, even if I'm not that actually interested in many of them (donut burger anyone?). However Indian sweets cooked in a microwave, have somehow passed me by, despite being around for ages apparently. I first came across this method for making kalakand, an Indian milk-based sweet, on the rather excellent <a href="http://www.bongcookbook.com/2014/10/microwave-kalakand-chocolate.html" target="_blank">Bong Mom's Cookbook blog</a>. I have to say that I was a little sceptical about the whole thing, but this was one of the simplest Indian sweets I have ever made. Admittedly, I am usually an Ambala girl rather than a stirring milk for ages person, but this is a recipe that came nowhere near testing my limited patience.<br />
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Kalakand are a little bit like burfi or Bengali sandesh, but with a softer texture and are more obviously milky; sort of like cottage cheese combined with fudge, though that makes them sound horrible (which they aren't). These kalakand were not too heavy or sweet, and were rich with cardamom. I followed the Bong Mom recipe pretty accurately, except that I didn't bother with the chocolate topping and just used chopped pistachios and almonds instead. I also added the crushed seeds from around 4 or 5 cardamom pods to the milk mix. Here are the ingredients with UK measurements.<br />
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Recipe (enough for 20 or so pieces)<br />
<br />
500g ricotta cheese<br />
1 x 397g tin, sweetened condensed milk<br />
Seeds from 4-5 cardamom pods, crushed<br />
Generous handful of almonds and pistachios, chopped<br />
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Firstly you'll need a suitable dish that can go in the microwave, and is relatively shallow, so your kalakand aren't too thick. I have a 1000 watt microwave, and after mixing all the ingredients except the nuts, I cooked the kalakand for five minutes at full power, followed by another five minutes, stirring well in between. If it looks like it's going to boil over at any point, stop microwaving and stir again. Then microwave in one minute bursts, until the mixture thickens, but is still a little moist on top. This is likely to take another five to seven minutes, so it will have been in the microwave for 15 to 17 minutes in total. This is obviously going to vary depending on the type of microwave you have. Once the kalakand is firm (but not totally dried out), sprinkle the nuts on top and press down slightly. Let the dish cool a bit and then chill in the fridge overnight. Take the kalakand out of the fridge 30 minutes before you want to eat them, so they come up to room temperature, slice into bite size pieces, transfer onto a jazzy serving dish, and tuck in. Ideal with a nice cup of tea.TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-84764895202619094342014-10-02T20:39:00.000+01:002014-10-02T20:42:27.385+01:00The Olive Grove, Cambridge, UK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So here's a quick review of The Olive Grove, where a recent dinner put paid to any pretence of continuing to be vegan.<br />
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The Olive Grove is a relatively new (I think it opened last year) addition to the Catholic Church end of Regent Street in the centre of Cambridge, which serves Greek and Mediterranean-style food. I had visited for a weekend lunch earlier in the year, but it was more of a social occasion so I wasn't paying that much attention to the food then (though I recall it was perfectly pleasant).<br />
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The inside is functional but comfortable, and going back in the evening, there was definitely more of a bustling atmosphere than during the day- I think I spotted a large table of genuine Greek people too. This time round we ordered a selection of their smaller plates for a meze style dinner, and I have to say it was all pretty uniformly delicious. As an aubergine fan, the melitzanosalata roasted aubergine salad type thing scooped onto warm fluffy pitta bread, was a highlight for me. I guess the Greek salad could have been a bit more flavourful, but it did come with a generous amount of creamy feta. And the fried calamari and prawn sagnaki, were well cooked with a good level of crunchiness on the squid. Unfortunately, my rather crappy photo doesn't do any of the food justice.<br />
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Additional major plus points were the pitcher of tap water brought to the table when we arrived, and the incredibly friendly and smiley server who took and correctly delivered our order without apparently ever writing it down. We ordered six dishes between us, which left us nicely stuffed. And the bill for all this and a couple of alcoholic drinks was around £45, which seemed very reasonable for a sizeable dinner for two. I am rather looking forward to going back again.<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://the-olivegrove.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Olive Grove</a><br />
100 Regent Street<br />
Cambridge CB2 1DP<br />
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TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-43917770793855811322014-09-20T14:48:00.001+01:002014-09-20T14:50:49.370+01:00Going vegan- the final wordSo I am definitely no longer vegan. Over the past couple of weeks I have eaten some fish and a reasonable amount of cheese, but there was no huge animal protein blow out. In fact it was actually quite hard to stop being vegan. I never intended for this to be a permanent change of eating habits, but once I'd done my thirty days I was quite disinclined to switch back to pescatarian eating. I really can't rationalise this, but somehow without the 'rules' of veganism I just felt an immense sense of confusion about what I should eat. Anyway, after a period of readjustment I am now enjoying the delights of (moderate amounts of) Quorn sausages and halloumi cheese. Somewhat randomly I am still consuming a variety of non-diary milks and yogurts, mainly because they are quite nice.<br />
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So to round up these posts, here are couple of things I made in the last week or so. I was inspired by the <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/going-vegan-week-3.html" target="_blank">Waitrose lentil and cauliflower salad</a> to make my own version. It wasn't an exact flavour match, but it was damn tasty nevertheless. I ate this over several days with an assortment of courgette bhajis, aubergine stew and pesto. The bhajis were also excellent, if I do say so myself- slices of courgette, dipped in a gram flour, self-raising flour, and black onion seed batter, and then fried in hot oil- resulting in a crispy but vaguely nutritious side dish. I've included my cauliflower recipe below, but do adjust to suit your own tastes.<br />
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Cauliflower and lentil salad (enough for 2 as a generous main meal, or 4 as a side dish)<br />
<br />
1 small cauliflower, cut into florets<br />
1 medium red onion, finely chopped<br />
2 spring onions, sliced<br />
1 red pepper, chopped into small pieces<br />
3 medium cloves garlic, crushed<br />
1-2 tsp ground cumin<br />
0.5 tsp chilli flakes<br />
0.5 tbslp sun-dried tomato puree<br />
1 tsp fennel seeds<br />
390g tin of cooked green lentils, drained<br />
Generous squeeze of lemon juice<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
2-3 tblsp olive oil<br />
Small handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped<br />
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Cook the cauliflower florets in the olive oil, with the onion, garlic, red pepper and spices. When the vegetables are almost cooked through, mix in the tomato puree. Once fully cooked and with some colour, take the vegetables off the heat, and allow to cool a little. While it's still warm, stir in the lentils, spring onion, lemon juice, coriander, and season to taste. Eat while warm or at room temperature.<br />
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I also tried my first bit of proper vegan baking. This was probably the area of food I was most sceptical about not working well. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the cinnamon doughnut muffins I tried making <a href="http://lucysfriendlyfoods.wordpress.com/2014/08/06/donut-muffins/" target="_blank">from this excellent blog</a> (which also turned out to be my favourite vegan/veggie cooking blog). They were light and delicious, and I'm not sure if would have been able to identify them as vegan if I hadn't known.<br />
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I tried adapting a <a href="http://i%20also%20tried%20my%20first%20bit%20of%20proper%20vegan%20baking.%20this%20was%20probably%20the%20area%20of%20food%20i%20was%20most%20sceptical%20about%20not%20working%20well.%20however%2C%20i%20was%20very%20pleasantly%20surprised%20by%20the%20cinammon%20doughnut%20muffins%20i%20tried%20making%20from%20this%20excellent%20blog%20%28which%20also%20turned%20out%20to%20be%20my%20favourite%20vegan/veggie%20cooking%20blog).%20They%20were%20light%20and%20delicious,%20and%20I'm%20not%20sure%20if%20would%20have%20been%20able%20to%20identify%20them%20as%20vegan%20if%20I%20hadn't%20known." target="_blank">Scott Jurek recipe for a chocolate bean bar</a> too, which was ok if not amazing. To be fair, they are not sold as a pudding (more of an energy bar type thing) and I did a lot of subbing for the flours, etc,which may have made the final product a bit different from its intended state. They were quite chocolatey and very dense, but with a slightly strange texture from the beans; imagine a slightly not right mochi. Definitely edible (I did finish them) but not one I'd be running off to make again (unlike the muffins). Quite nice with a iced almond milk mocha coffee though.<br />
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I also found a new vegan snack from Burt's, so that was a bonus.<br />
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So the conclusion to all of this is that being temporarily vegan made me much more aware of what I was eating; and I'm still eating a lot more whole grains, legumes, and vegetables, and probably more dairy alternatives (though I'm not sure why). I've found myself eating more accidentally vegan meals, and not just chomping on cheese unthinkingly. I have discovered lots of new products (not all great) and some fab new food blogs (which mainly were fab). So I'm really pleased I gave this a go, and though the intention was not to make it a permanent change, it's somehow reassuring to know that I could if I wanted to.<br />
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<br />TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-44285919377240762222014-08-13T21:46:00.000+01:002014-08-15T09:55:45.667+01:00Going vegan- week 4I'm going to say it- I am quite enjoying being vegan! Though it is undoubtedly restrictive, it has made me think more creatively about food, and actually be open to some things that I've previously been a bit scathing about. And most importantly, everything I've cooked has genuinely been really tasty (I'm still quite surprised by this).<br />
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The Bircher muesli, and salad and bean based lunches are still going strong during the week, as are snacks based around nuts, crisps (one of the most delicious vegan foods), and fruit. Dinners during this week have been particularly successful though. I made a vegetable and cashew nut stir-fry with one of those bags of supermarket ready-prepped veg, a Japanese-style aubergine nasu dengaku, and <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/going-vegan-week-3.html" target="_blank">leftover black pepper tofu</a>. I've only ever eaten nasu dengaku in <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/teri-aki-cambridge-uk-return-visit.html" target="_blank">Teri-Aki</a> before but it looked pretty simple to make. Just fry (or cook by your preferred method) pieces of aubergine, make a sauce by gently heating some miso paste, mirin, and sugar, mix together, and ta-dah- Japanese deliciousness results! The only slight flaw in the plan, was that the Sainsbury's miso paste I picked up was not a 'pure' one and had stuff like ginger in it too. It was still perfectly nice, but I'll make sure I purchase an unadulterated version in the future. I also toned down the amount of sugar I used, as some recipes seem to have loads. I added 1tsp of brown sugar to 2 heaped tblsp of miso and around 4 tblsp of mirin. This suited me, and was plenty to coat my medium aubergine, but you can of course adjust to taste. The sweetness of the aubergine was just the right antidote to the burn of the tofu, and a generous amount of nuts in the stir-fry added texture (and some more protein).<br />
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Aubergine made an appearance later in the week too, when I cooked a very simple tomato sauce/stew to go with courgette 'spaghetti', and a cheese-free rocket and walnut pesto. Courgette spaghetti is just courgette cut into fine strips with one of those julienne peeler things. I must have bought one on a whim years ago, and it's actually pretty handy. It's obviously not essential to have your vegetables resemble pasta, but there is something psychologically beneficial about being able to twirl your food round on a fork. I have <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/courgette-carbonara.html" target="_blank">made this before</a>, but looking back I definitely over-cooked the courgettes. So everything tasted nice, but the veg had a not brilliant, watery texture. I've learnt my lesson though, so once my two courgette was julienne-ed up, I cooked them in two batches for no more than 3 minutes in some olive oil. Courgettes can basically be eaten raw, so mine were just slightly softened, and cooking smaller amounts at a time meant they they didn't release loads of liquid. The tomato sauce was a basic mix of onion, garlic, and aubergine sautéed in olive oil until soft, and then simmered with a can of chopped tomatoes, some water, a sprinkling of dried mixed herbs, a tablespoon of sundried tomato purée, and finished with some fresh basil.<br />
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For the weekend, I thought I'd try and put together some sort of vegan roast dinner. As I don't eat meat anyway, this wasn't actually much of a leap from the type of thing I'd make for a hearty, winter lunch (just with more sunshine). Quorn products aren't vegan, so mini sausages were out, but I instead ramped up my nut roast efforts, made an onion gravy, roasted potatoes and parsnips, sautéed Savoy cabbage, and steamed some broccoli.<br />
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Nut roast (enough for 4):<br />
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1 170g pack Paxo sage and onion stuffing, made up with water<br />
1 medium red onion, sliced<br />
4 fat cloves of garlic, crushed<br />
Around 250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced<br />
Around 70g Brazil nuts, roughly chopped<br />
Around 70g walnut pieces<br />
1 tsp mixed, dried herbs<br />
1 or 2 sprigs of fresh thyme<br />
2-3 tblsp olive oil<br />
Generous grind of pepper and a little salt<br />
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Cook the onion in the oil until soft and starting to caramelise, and then add the herbs, garlic, mushrooms, and nuts. Season well, and fry until the mushrooms are nicely browned. Make up the Paxo stuffing mix with hot water, and then combine with the mushrooms. You could of course just use an equivalent amount of fresh breadcrumbs and sage, but I genuinely think the Paxo mix (with its extra dried onions, garlic powder, and herbs) adds a flavour boost as well as bulk. The nut roast is basically all cooked, but I assemble it in advance, put into a shallow baking dish, drizzle the top with a little olive oil, and pop into the lower part of the oven at gas mark 6 for around 30 minutes (when the roast vegetables are in). The top should be browned, but be careful not to let it dry out. I have to say that this resulted in an excellent roast dinner.<br />
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I also thought I'd try my hand at some vegan baking, but started small with some flapjacks. I took inspiration from this really <a href="http://lucysfriendlyfoods.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/super-duper-amazingly-gooey-flapjacks/" target="_blank">rather fab food blog</a>, but reduced the amount of syrup (to around 4 tblsp), and added dried cranberries (a generous handful), and around 50g of mixed seeds. I was definitely concerned about using sunflower margarine, rather than butter, and specifically that it would taste strongly of marg. But actually I don't think I would have known the difference. Anything with lots of sugar in it tends to taste mainly of that, and I also had fruit and seeds too. Reducing the amount of syrup did make the flapjacks a bit more crumbly than I imagine the originals were, but there were still robust enough to cut up into pieces. It's also a super-simple recipe, but pretty damn good.<br />
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I thought this was going to be my last vegan post, but actually I have a few additional things to write about so there's one more coming!TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-30218046615657855052014-08-03T14:32:00.001+01:002014-08-03T14:39:28.619+01:00Going vegan- week 3So things continue to go well in vegan world. I've stuck with the Bircher muesli breakfast (toast with margarine just doesn't appeal that much), but have switched up the fruit I have with it. I've been a bit pressed for time, so I thought I'd look into a few ready made options for my work lunches. I was delighted to find that Waitrose do a whole range of packaged, salad-y things which are vegan. I think they are actually all labelled as vegetarian, but they don't have any dairy in them.<br />
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I added some extra cashew nuts to the <a href="http://www.waitrose.com/shop/DisplayProductFlyout?productId=350191" target="_blank">Asian slaw</a>, which was properly zesty and sharp, with loads of lime in the dressing, and ideal for the stupidly hot weather we've had recently. Lemon and coriander humus (or indeed houmous) is pretty much a classic now, and went perfectly with the <a href="http://www.waitrose.com/shop/DisplayProductFlyout?productId=350195" target="_blank">roasted cauliflower salad</a>. These are definitely two salads I will buy again (or try and replicate at home). Anyway, with the addition of some salad leaves, tomatoes, olives, and Ryvita, these three items dealt with my weekday lunch requirements.<br />
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For dinners in the week, I accidentally made way too much Indian food. To be honest, I don't think I've ever managed to make a small amount of 'desi khanna', so this was not that surprising. I made <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/saag-bengali-style-spring-greens.html" target="_blank">Bengali-style greens</a> (but with no ghee) and a <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/chingri-malai-curry-or-bengali-style.html" target="_blank">Bengali-style malai curry</a> but with mushrooms, broccoli, and baby corn instead of prawns. I also increased the spicing a bit to compensate for lack of seafood, so added in 2 tsp of ground coriander, another of ground cumin, and 1 tsp of crushed chilli flakes (mostly due to running out of fresh chillis). This was served with quinoa cooked with Indian whole spices and cashew nuts, in the style of a pilau rice, and some poppadoms. As expected this was all delicious, and the quinoa worked really well with everything else as a rice-alike neutral grain.<br />
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Weekend eating involved the appearance of a now somewhat ubiquitous Linda McCartney product (sausage rolls this time, which are actually quite nice). I also made some quinoa and mushroom stuffed, roasted peppers, which were unexpectedly tasty too (despite not having any melted cheese on top), with the sweet pepper contrasting nicely with the savoury filling.<br />
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<b>Roasted and stuffed peppers</b> (I'd suggest half a pepper per person as a side dish)<br />
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2 peppers (ideally red or yellow)<br />
1 small red onion, finely sliced<br />
2 medium cloves garlic, crushed<br />
Around 50-75g quinoa<br />
5 or 6 chestnut mushrooms, finely sliced<br />
1 tblsp vegan herb cream cheese (optional)<br />
5-6 basil leaves, torn<br />
1 tsp Marigold vegetable bouillon powder<br />
2-3 tblsp olive oil<br />
Around 100ml water, or enough to cook the quinoa<br />
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Firstly the peppers- slice each one in half through it's stalk. Bring a pan of water to the boil, and then drop in the peppers. Reduce the heat a bit, and simmer for around 5-10 minutes, until the peppers are tender. Drain, pat dry, and then drizzle over a bit of olive oil. Make sure the sure the peppers are well coated in oil and then put them under a grill until they just start to char and blister a bit. Turn them at least once during the process. If you have functioning oven, you can just oil up the peppers and roast them in there on gas mark 6, but this will take around 30 minutes. While the peppers are cooking, gently fry the onion, garlic, and mushroom, in the rest of the oil. Once they've softened, add the quinoa, the bouillon powder, and hot water to cover. Simmer over a low heat for around 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is cooked, adding more water if needed. Stir in the basil leaves, and cream cheese, and spoon into the peppers. If you wanted some sort of topping I would suggest breadcrumbs, either fried in a pan first and sprinkled on top, or 'raw' drizzled with oil and then grilled.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAklqFUoNL2D-cc5PTFWhPgUFCWSR5FOU6voGBhqfsL04vlM9CPPfFrAHqMtHYxFp6sf_ZQcnDYj8e4GVIdjyTqqyQ0FB7qEMA54hdvTrUidq9lfJ8JoKqKvxTVUHK57BAb1-Z6drZYwYp/s1600/2014-07-27+18.49.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAklqFUoNL2D-cc5PTFWhPgUFCWSR5FOU6voGBhqfsL04vlM9CPPfFrAHqMtHYxFp6sf_ZQcnDYj8e4GVIdjyTqqyQ0FB7qEMA54hdvTrUidq9lfJ8JoKqKvxTVUHK57BAb1-Z6drZYwYp/s1600/2014-07-27+18.49.29.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>I've also increased my snacking range, as lots of of savoury, crunchy stuff appears to be effortlessly vegan. I've never had plantain chips before, but they were excellent. And of course, it's hard to go wrong with rice crackers.<br />
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For some slightly more extravagant weekend dinners, I cooked an uber-spicy, vegan version of <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/ottolenghis-black-pepper-tofu.html" target="_blank">Ottolenghi's black pepper tofu</a> (which has become a modern classic). Making this vegan, just means leaving out the butter, so pretty simple. I also made quite a lot of <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/cauliflower-fried-rice.html" target="_blank">cauliflower fried rice</a> and a side of steamed pak choi with sesame oil. As a side note, I didn't bother blanching the cauliflower first this time (and won't bother again). I just sautéed it in a bit of oil and garlic in a non-stick pan, for a few minutes, tipped it out, cooked the other veg, and tipped it back in. This was all fantastic, and again one of those meals which I'd happily eat again, vegan or not.<br />
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So veganism so far is proving to be surprisingly delicious.TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-12065758488679187902014-07-24T17:16:00.000+01:002015-01-25T22:27:12.900+00:00Going vegan- week 2I'm back with my update on week 2! You can say one thing for veganism- it certainly aids regular blog posting.<br />
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I've carried on with many things from week 1. I'm still eating my Bircher-style muesli for work-day breakfasts, and coconut yoghurt at the weekend. I'm still taking some form of salad type stuff in for lunch, but this time with homemade caramelised onion hummus and some genuinely tasty Ryvita crispbreads (the multigrain one). And I'm eating more Linda McCartney sausages than expected.<br />
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There have been some interesting food developments though. After a couple of false starts, I think I've finally found an acceptable soy yoghurt. Unfortunately, I can't seem to locate any plain coconut yoghurt (my preferred option) around here and the (delicious) raw chocolate ones from CoYo are just too much like pudding for me to take into work for a mid-afternoon snack. I tried the Tesco Free From soy natural yoghurt in week 1 but it was pretty horrible- a weird chalky taste, and a smell of slaked clay that reminded me of those mud mask sachets I used to apply as a teenager. It was verging on inedible for me, even when I tried it with lots of chopped up fruit and vanilla extract. I'm sad to say I had to chuck this. Next up was an Alpro vanilla soy yoghurt, initially purchased as there was no plain one available in Tesco. Thankfully this was heaps better. Still a very slight chalky after-taste, but nothing terrible and lots of vanilla flavour. In many ways this was more like a vanilla custard, which is probably due to the amount of added sugar in it. I don't want a load of glucose-fructose syrup in my yoghurt though, so was relieved to finally track down some plain soy yoghurt from Alpro. This was not exactly delicious but had minimal chalkiness, so was acceptable with fruit.<br />
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I've also tried three vegan 'cheeses'. The soya-free Cheezly brand one was vaguely ok-ish when crumbled over my hot chilli in <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/going-vegan-week-1.html" target="_blank">week 1</a>. Although it doesn't melt, it tasted faintly savoury, like a sort of homeopathic feta. I tried to add it to my lunchtime salads too, but it's far less successful cold. It was just about edible but not that pleasant. I also tried the Tesco Free From strong soya cheese. This was more cheese-like in texture, and looked a bit like (cheap) Cheddar. But I'm afraid that it just didn't work for me in terms of taste or texture, and I could only eat a tiny bite of it. I'm not even sure why, as it wasn't that unpleasant, but I was immediately sure that that tiny bite would be enough. I still have it in the fridge though, and now a few days have passed I'm wondering if I should try cooking with it. But I don't want to ruin a perfectly nice dinner with the cheese of instant aversion. We shall see. I have fared much better with a Free From garlic and herb soft cheese-style soya spread from Tesco (also soy based). The texture of this was much more like cream cheese, and the strong flavourings meant that pretty much all you could taste was herbiness. Not amazing, but nice enough to go on a Ryvita.<br />
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Dinners have continued to be rather successful. I sautéed butternut squash with garlic and za'atar, and made a cheese-free rocket and basil pesto to go over steamed broccoli, which was served with tofu one night and Linda McCartney sausages the next. I also made some frickin excellent lentil and mushroom burgers, which I ate with sweet potato fries, and a big green salad. The burgers were inspired by <a href="http://scottjurek.com/eatandrun/recipes/" target="_blank">this recipe</a> from food enthusiast and vegan, ultra-marathon runner Scott Jurek. I changed quite a few things due to an ingredient deficiency and not quite reading the recipe properly, so my version is below, but these were genuinely fab and I will be making them again.<br />
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<b>Lentil and mushroom burgers</b> (makes around 6-8 depending on size): <br />
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390g tin of green lentils (I used one from Tesco)<br />
Around 100g chestnut mushrooms<br />
3 medium spring onions<br />
3 cloves of garlic<br />
1 tsp mixed dried herbs<br />
0.5 tsp paprika<br />
0.5 tsp ground black pepper<br />
2 tsp English mustard<br />
1 tblsp gram (chickpea) flour<br />
Around 1 tblsp chopped hazelnuts<br />
Around 100g quinoa cooked in Marigold vegetable bouillon stock (and cooled)<br />
Plain oil for frying<br />
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So firstly, I didn't have things like ground flaxseed and nutritional yeast which the Jurker uses in his recipe. I subbed those and the breadcrumbs for quinoa and Marigold stock powder. I find this quite salty too, so didn't bother adding any more to the mix. I also didn't read the bit about cooking the vegetables first. So I basically put everything above, except the nuts and quinoa, in the food processor and pulsed and until it had a suitably coarse burger-like texture. I then added the other ingredients put it all in the fridge overnight. The mixture turned out to be a little on the wet-side but not too sloppy. When it came to dinner time, I heated up a thin layer of oil in a non-stick frying pan, took a heaped tablespoon of the burger mix and plopped into the pan, using the back of the spoon to push it down and shape it a bit. These needed around 3-4 minutes on each side to form a crust and colour up. They were just about robust enough to be flipped over and later manoeuvred onto a plate. I'm pretty sure that a lot of moisture was coming from the raw mushroom, so I will definitely cook these first next time, and that should make the patties a lot more robust. But nevertheless, these burgers tasted damn good. Lentil and mushroom immediately summons up some sort of stupid hippy, dippy cliché, but these were properly packed full of flavour and had a great succulent texture. I did think that a bit of melted cheese over the top would be an excellent addition, but obviously that's not very vegan, so some grilled onions and tomato ketchup were a very acceptable substitute. The burgers would be great in a bun with green leaves, but I kept mine <i>au naturel </i>and ate them with some sweet potato fries and a big salad.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHb6LXS9y9CxdO_kSjjPYFsLeY87jdSPdjiNgr2TyGWSBP-rHhbDWDljHNn_i1-0zYyslXyG4xw2wuD9Ft20Zm9B-QQL1Kz7DU4UNzVnPcMY9COnfapAjcSOdQ3sP2o4IfQ5Bpwu1W_Hu8/s1600/2014-07-18+21.50.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHb6LXS9y9CxdO_kSjjPYFsLeY87jdSPdjiNgr2TyGWSBP-rHhbDWDljHNn_i1-0zYyslXyG4xw2wuD9Ft20Zm9B-QQL1Kz7DU4UNzVnPcMY9COnfapAjcSOdQ3sP2o4IfQ5Bpwu1W_Hu8/s1600/2014-07-18+21.50.21.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>The weekend involved polishing off lots of the above as leftovers, snacking on salted crisps, crackers with peanut butter, a variety of raw and roasted nuts, and moderate quantities of dark chocolate. As it was so flipping hot (and humid), dinners minimised cooking and were mostly salad based. On the left is a romaine lettuce, fennel, raddish, carrot, spring onion, artichoke heart, and yellow pepper salad, with a side of beetroot, the now ubiquitous Linda McCartney sausages (rosemary and red onion this time) and a stuffed mushroom courtesy of Sainsburys (a rare cheese-free pre-prepared item vegetarian item).<br />
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I also managed a visit to the Gog Magog cafe during the week. My concerns that I'd have to sit in a corner with a black tea, while everyone one else had coffee and cake were unfounded as obtaining a soy milk latte was totally non-problematic, and there was even a vegan cake offering in the form of a damn good date flapjack. Huzzah! And now onwards to week 3!<br />
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<br />TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-65545851237663777862014-07-17T20:14:00.000+01:002014-07-18T12:43:41.359+01:00Going vegan- week 1Nothing very interesting has been happening here in terms of eating. I've generally been cooking the same range of things and not eating out that much, which is pretty normal really. Anyway, for various reasons I thought that this month I'd try a 30 day vegan challenge. Veganism has always seemed a bit daunting, but after a bit of research it actually seemed pretty achievable. As I don't eat meat anyway, I didn't think it would be that much of a shock to the system and there seem to be a lot of vegan substitutes available too. However, most of these seem to be based on soy and as I didn't want to become one giant walking soy bean I tried not to go too crazy with these. As an additional factor, I've also been minimising the amount of sugar and processed grains I eat, so no relying on pasta or toast for dinner either.<br />
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So as I near the end of week 1, here's what I've been eating, some recipes, and some of my views on the vegan products I've purchased.<br />
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One thing I've realised about being vegan is that a bit of preparation is often key. So for workday breakfasts I decided on a sort of seed-enriched Bircher muesli with almond milk.<br />
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<b>Bircher-style muesli</b> (enough for around 4 portions):<br />
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4-5 tblsp coarse porridge oats<br />
Around 50g Asda seed mix (containing pumpkin, sunflower, hemp seeds, and linseeds)<br />
Around 50g Asda triple berry and seed mix (similar to the above but with dried cranberries, goji berries, and blueberries too)<br />
2-3 tblsp chia seeds<br />
Around 100ml, or enough to submerge everything, of Alpro almond milk<br />
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I put all of the above in a bowl and left it covered in the fridge overnight. The next morning I took out around a quarter, topped it up with some more almond milk and added some toasted coconut flakes and chopped up fresh strawberries. I have to say that this was very nice indeed. The almond milk was genuinely tasty, all the nuts and seeds meant that the muesli was flavourful as well as filling, and the bit of fresh fruit added some natural sweetness. I would definitely have this again.<br />
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I think I got a bit carried away with my work lunches (the fear of being hungry was strong). So I took in a carrot and brazil nut dip, peanut butter hummus, little gem and tomato salad, red pepper and celery sticks, and a couple of Carr's water biscuits with Vitalite sunflower spread. This was actually a bit much, but did facilitate grazing.<br />
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The carrot dip was inspired by this <a href="http://www.vegansociety.com/resources/recipes/starters-snacks-sides/carrot-almond-spread" target="_blank">Vegan Society recipe</a>, but here's my version.<br />
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<b>Carrot and brazil nut dip</b> (easily enough for 4):<br />
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4 medium carrots<br />
Around 50g brazil nuts<br />
1 spring onion<br />
0.5 tsp ground cumin<br />
1 tblsp olive oil<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
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Peel and chop the carrots, and either boil or steam until they are just cooked. Put in a food processor (yay for the Kenwood mini-chopper), roughly chop the spring onion and nuts, add the oil and cumin to the carrots and process until coarsely blended. I wouldn't normally use un-toasted spices, but in this case the hot carrots apply a bit of heat to the cumin and also soften the spring onion. Season the dip to taste, and leave to cool.<br />
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The hummus is adapted from a <a href="http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/peanut-butter-hummus" target="_blank">Nigella Lawson recipe</a> which replaces tahini with peanut butter. I blended around 1.5tblsp of crunchy peanut butter with one clove of garlic, a 400g tin of drained chickpeas, 2-3tblsp olive oil, and a similar amount of water to form a nice hummus-y texture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Again, this makes loads.<br />
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For dinner in week 1, I thought I'd go for a big one pot meal-type thing which would minimise cooking after work later in the week. Having decided on a chilli, this plan was a bit overly successful as I ended up with enough to feed at least 8 people. I threw in lots of spices and garlic with a tomato base, and used soy mince for texture and protein. I ate this with a guacamole, a sweetcorn salsa, and some tortilla chips. Here's my basic recipe, which can be easily tweaked depending on what you like or have available.<br />
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<b>Mexican-style chilli</b> (easily enough for 8):<br />
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454g bag of soy mince (I used the frozen one from Tesco, and left it to defrost in the fridge before cooking)<br />
1 stick celery, diced<br />
1 large carrot, diced<br />
1 green pepper, chopped into chunks<br />
1 yellow pepper, chopped into chunks<br />
Half a red pepper, chopped into chunks<br />
5-6 medium chestnut mushrooms, quartered<br />
1 medium onion, finely sliced<br />
5 medium garlic cloves, crushed<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
210g tin of kidney beans, drained<br />
400g tin of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice<br />
1 heaped tblsp sun-dried tomato purée (I use the Gia brand)<br />
1 tsp dried mixed herbs<br />
2 tsp chilli flakes<br />
2 tsp paprika<br />
2 tsp ground cumin<br />
2 tsp ground coriander<br />
3-4 tblsp olive oil<br />
Salt and pepper to season<br />
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Sweat down the celery, carrot, and onion, with the bay leaf in the olive oil over a lowish heat. Once soft add the peppers, mushrooms, garlic, herbs, and spices. After a few minutes, stir in the soy mince, and after a bit more cooking add the tinned tomatoes and purée. I also half-filled the (now empty) tin of tomatoes with water and put that in too, but you might want to vary this depending on the chilli consistency your prefer. After adding salt and pepper, the chilli simmered for around 20 minutes. Add the kidney beans, check the seasoning, and simmer for another 5 minutes or so, or until the peppers are fully cooked.<br />
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Due to making so much of all the above stuffs, the weekend was mainly filled with eating the leftovers (I still had to freeze some of the chilli). But an excellent additional breakfast option was a raw chocolate CoYo coconut yogurt. These were genuinely delicious, and tasted more like a chocolate mousse really. As with the Bircher muesli, I'm sure these will be reappearing in post-vegan life.<br />
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Weekend dinners were a bit more mixed. One involving a tomato, fennel, and black olive stew, green beans with almonds and garlic, Linda McCartney sausages, and a salad of raw mushroom and jarred artichoke hearts was excellent.<br />
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Another involving cumin roasted cauliflower, courgettes with garlic and chilli, guacamole, and smoked tofu with caramelised onion was less good. All the bits tasted quite nice, but it was a pretty random combination which didn't really complement each other. Perfectly edible, but I have realised that beige and green is never the best look for an appetising dinner.<br />
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Overall week 1 of veganism went rather smoothly. I ate more beans and soy than I would normally, but probably also more vegetables. I definitely wasn't hungry, and certainly didn't feel I was missing out on anything. So pretty positive really. I can't say I feel particularly 'healthier' either, but that wasn't a particular aim and seven days of doing anything probably isn't going to have much impact. So anyway, onwards to week 2!<br />
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<br />TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-13201707071803562952014-05-27T13:17:00.002+01:002014-05-27T13:17:29.711+01:00Chocolate and pecan blondies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Not that you need telling, but the recipes on the <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/" target="_blank">Smitten Kitchen blog</a> are really rather good. Luckily a lot of other people realised this a while ago as blogger Deb Perlman now has a best selling cookbook.<br />
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Anyway, I made these blondies <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2006/11/blondies-for-a-blondie/" target="_blank">from a basic recipe on her blog</a> the other week, and added around 75g of chopped up dark chocolate (85% cocoa) and about the same weight of lightly toasted pecan nuts. These were the first blondies I've made, and possibly tasted too. They were quite sweet, but were perfect in small squares and had a great fudge-y texture. They are the sort of thing that would be ideal for picnics or travelling with, as they don't have the logistical issues of transporting a large Victoria sponge (but are equally as delicious). Definitely one to make again once summer re-appears.TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-80527429074242728002014-05-08T20:26:00.000+01:002014-05-08T20:43:21.316+01:00Pint Shop, Cambridge, UK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Pint Shop is located right in the centre of Cambridge, but you could easily walk past and not notice it. That would be an error. It only opened late year, but it's been a great addition to the limited number of independent eating options in town. It's a slightly odd space with a pub/bar at the front, and a dining room at the back (and another upstairs too apparently). I went for a weekend lunch earlier in the year which was lovely (but unblogged), so it was an obvious choice for a midweek, day-off-work, late lunch. And by late lunch, I mean very late- I think we rocked up at around 3:45pm, so were the only people in the dining room, but service was still prompt and friendly.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> There would normally be other people here.</span></i></div>
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Bread and a jug of water arrived unprompted, and an exceptionally helpful front of house person assisted me in choosing the nicest gin and tonic I have ever had (with City of London Dry Gin if you're interested). Wanting something lighter to eat, I chose a couple of starters and sides (to share), which all used simple ingredients done really well. A classic asparagus and poached egg dish was cooked perfectly and well seasoned. The crumbed hake was a bit like square fishfingers, but none the worse for that, and the grilled spring onions that came with it were deliciously tender and smoky. I love broccoli with anchovy, and would have been delighted with am extra pot of the dressing for dipping purposes. As I think the picture below captures, onion rings were ginormous but still light and crispy.<br />
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Having scoffed all of this, and with the MCP devouring a large baked bream, we were too full for pudding (a rarity). All of this food, along with a couple of alcoholic drinks came to around £55 (without service) which I think was excellent value for the quality of cooking. I've only been twice, but I already pretty much love Pint Shop. I would happily return just for a G&T, but some food would be even better.<br />
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<a href="http://pintshop.co.uk/" target="_blank">Pint Shop</a><br />
10 Peas Hill<br />
Cambridge CB2 3PNTheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-82572606130896440532014-04-28T20:41:00.000+01:002014-05-08T20:43:31.246+01:00Teri-Aki, Cambridge, UK- A return visit<br />
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I really love the Japanese food at Teri-Aki's, but I have a horrible feeling that the last time I went was actually also the first time I <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/teri-aki-cambridge-uk.html" target="_blank">blogged about it</a>. As is the way with such things, I seem to have reversed the trend recently by going three times in the past few months. Back in the day I always used to order their fried soba noodles, but on recent lunch visits I've switched to sushi and and some smaller hot dishes. So I can thoroughly recommend the tempura, agedashi tofu, nasu dengaku aubergine, and the maki rolls.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDLMnOR0_ZGbvlpMuMUoY4NB2o4FF2o-Jl5uu95ZcIPxSc9YWoo7s_5bHRUm39aKIH3I1XVgGYS-M0nOa8TzNS4dvXt3GFCJj_AO6TP6aPbULo5oYxpz5paTKDGBjcdPd_DnvS6CkiHMn/s1600/2014-04-09+15.02.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDLMnOR0_ZGbvlpMuMUoY4NB2o4FF2o-Jl5uu95ZcIPxSc9YWoo7s_5bHRUm39aKIH3I1XVgGYS-M0nOa8TzNS4dvXt3GFCJj_AO6TP6aPbULo5oYxpz5paTKDGBjcdPd_DnvS6CkiHMn/s1600/2014-04-09+15.02.31.jpg" height="244" width="320" /></a></div>
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The tempura was crisp and oil free, whether contained seafood or vegetables, the sushi fresh and flavourful; and I've yet to have a poor plate of aubergine or tofu. Service has always been a bit patchy at Teri-Aki's, but based on recent experiences, it has become a lot more consistent.<br />
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So with prices hovering around the five pound mark for the smaller dishes, and smaller plates of sushi, and around a tenner for large plates of noodles, Teri-Aki's remains excellent value. This was all really rather reassuring after such a long gap between visits, and left me wondering why I'd left it for so long. Anyway, it's firmly back on the radar now, and next time I might even order something aside from tempura, aubergine, and tofu (but probably won't).<br />
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<a href="http://www.teri-aki.co.uk/" target="_blank">Teri-Aki Restaurant and Bar</a><br />
6-8 Quayside<br />
Cambridge CB5 8ABTheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-61569996799734221392014-04-01T20:40:00.000+01:002014-04-03T12:48:54.182+01:00Kalo jeera diye mach or Bengali-style salmon with black onion seeds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">This is a really simple salmon recipe that my parents came up with aeons ago for cooking what was at the time a pretty unfamiliar British fish- so a true fusion dish! I'm sure it could be adapted for use with other oily fish, or indeed the more traditional Bengali rui mach. There isn't much jhol, or gravy, as such but what you do have is quite a delicately spiced dish which really compliments the rich flavour of salmon.</span><br />
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Recipe (enough for 2)<br />
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Around 300g of salmon, scaled and cut into large-ish chunks<br />
A large thumb-sized piece of ginger, squashed to a paste<br />
2 cloves of garlic, squashed to a paste<br />
1 large dried bay leaf<br />
1 whole green chilli, pricked a few times<br />
Around 2 tsp black onion seeds (a.k.a. nigella, kalonji, or kalo jeera if you're Bengali)<br />
Around 1.5 tsp turmeric<br />
A small squirt of tomato purée<br />
Around 1 tsp salt, or to taste<br />
Around 1 tblsp plain oil<br />
Couple of tbslp chopped fresh coriander leaves (optional)<br />
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Firstly marinate the fish in around 1 tsp of turmeric. Give it a good stir so it's all lightly coated, and leave it for around 30mins (or less if that's more convenient). In the meantime squish the the ginger and garlic, and mix into a paste. When you're ready to cook, heat the oil in a suitable pan (non-stick is pretty handy for this) and then put in the fish. Gently fry for a few minutes on each side to 'seal' it but not cook it fully. Take the fish out (leaving the oil in the pan) and put it the bay leaf, ginger and garlic, and chilli. Cook over a medium heat for a few minutes and then add the black onion seeds, and continue to cook. After another couple of minutes, put the fish back in, sprinkle over the rest of the turmeric, and add the tomato purée with a couple of tablespoons of water. Gently mix everything together, season to taste and place over a low heat until the fish is cooked through. This will probably take 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size of your fish pieces.<br />
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Once cooked, take off the heat and stir in the coriander if you're using it. Serve with plain boiled rice, and maybe some vegetables, while contemplating the the brilliance of kalo jeera.TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-2006593846963588832014-02-25T20:29:00.001+00:002014-02-25T20:33:55.806+00:00Ful kopi daata torkari or Bengali-style cauliflower stalks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Bengalis have been chomping their way through fish bones and bits of indigestible vegetable for centuries now. Something I've never quite got my fussy head around #BengaliFail<br />
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But there are a few things which I have come round to, and this dish of cauliflower with its stalks is one of them. I guess it is the vegetable equivalent of nose-to-tail eating, as it uses the entire cauliflower with very little waste. In fact you can make it totally sans florets (and use those for something else), but I prefer to save about half of them and have it as a more mixed dish. You can also add in other vegetables- as peas or butternut squash which work particularly well.<br />
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This dish also uses the typical Bengali spice blend of panch phoron. This is a mixture of whole fenugreek, cumin, mustard, fennel, and black onion seeds, and is used in a range of vegetable dishes. I am reliably informed that this is available in Waitrose, (or any Indian grocery shop).<br />
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Recipe (plenty for 2):<br />
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2 dried bay leaves<br />
Around 2-3 tsps panch phoron<br />
1 tsp turmeric<br />
Stalks from one medium cauliflower and around half the florets<br />
Around a tblsp of fresh ginger, crushed into a paste<br />
1 whole green chilli<br />
1 tsp salt, or to taste<br />
1-1.5 tblsp plain oil, such as sunflower.<br />
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Firstly prep your cauliflower by removing any outer leaves or stalks that look all shrivelled up and inedible, and then start cutting away at the inner stalks to reach the florets. Cut the florets away from the core and set aside any you're saving for later. Slice up the stalks into medium pieces that aren't too thick, and do the same with the core. The cauliflower florets should be cut into smaller pieces too, but nothing too tiny as you don't want them to disintegrate in the pan. Once you've got the ginger crushed and ready, you're ready to cook. Heat up the oil in a large pan, and when it's hot (but not smoking) put in the bay leaves and panch phoron seeds. Reduce the heat if needed so that nothing scorches. When the seeds start to pop a little, put in the ginger and then the cauliflower stalks and florets and chilli, and give everything a good stir. Add the salt and turmeric, turn the heat down, put a lid on the pan, and allow to cook for around 15 minutes. Check on it during this time, and if it looks like anything is catching, add a little water and stir well. The torkari is done when the stalks and florets are both tender and fully cooked through. If you wanted to add some peas, wait until the cauliflower is cooked before putting them in. But if you were using squash, give this a head start and add it in first, allowing it to cook for around 10 minutes before putting in the cauliflower. Serve with rice, <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Bengali%20food" target="_blank">other Bengali things</a>, or chapatis.<br />
<br />TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-43184567110259128862014-02-08T12:40:00.002+00:002014-02-08T12:41:07.836+00:00Cholar dal- Bengali-style lentils<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5rL4fR3Wqef3nLF8fX0EA5JIrhsFKh0Hn6BJ05t0rG71u85i3ZtM8LW3xrfkTmbv-kpFN3nYuAcb54h0pmfwqn72Dryo5SexlnqWbLmOi4hkL1NSBfvnQqLTnifAlgWSjjNrkkEdoQvo/s1600/P1010142a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5rL4fR3Wqef3nLF8fX0EA5JIrhsFKh0Hn6BJ05t0rG71u85i3ZtM8LW3xrfkTmbv-kpFN3nYuAcb54h0pmfwqn72Dryo5SexlnqWbLmOi4hkL1NSBfvnQqLTnifAlgWSjjNrkkEdoQvo/s1600/P1010142a.JPG" height="250" width="320" /></a></div>
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Coming back from a trip to India always results in an immediate upsurge in the amount of Indian and Bengali food that I cook, so that's going to be reflected in the next few blog posts.<br />
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As I child I pretty much detested all forms of dal, and especially the <i>patla</i>, thin dals my mother made with giant pieces of ginger in them. Luckily for me I discovered cholar dal at some point. Cholar dal is somehow quite 'meaty' in taste, and rich with ghee and coconut. It's often a 'celebration dal' served at wedding meals, but is also great with plain rice and a papar/poppadom. Anyway, here's the sort of loose recipe that I use, but as ever with Indian food do feel to adjust the flavours (within reason) if you want.<br />
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<b>Recipe (easily enough for 4-6 depending on what else you're eating):</b><br />
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Around 250g cholar dal lentils (Natco are a good brand for this)<br />
Around 500ml water<br />
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1.5 tblsp ghee<br />
1-2 small bay leaves<br />
3-4 cardamom pods, split<br />
2-3 small pieces Indian cinnamon/cassia bark<br />
2 tblsp fresh coconut, chopped into small pieces<br />
1-2 large, whole, dried Indian red chillis<br />
0.5 tsp turmeric<br />
0.5 tsp salt (or to taste)<br />
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Firstly, cook the dal with plenty of water until it is completely tender and cooked through. I do this on a very low simmer on the hob, and it takes around 30-40 minutes, starting with around double the volume of water to lentils. This should all be absorbed by the time the dal is cooked through, but keep an eye on it and make sure you top up the water if needed and give it the occasional stir to stop it sticking on the bottom of your pan. If you're proficient with pressure cookers, you'll probably be able to reduce this step to 10-15 minutes. Whichever way you do things, you should end up with quite a thick (but still liquid) mixture, which you can leave to the side to cool.<br />
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To season the boiled lentils, warm the ghee in a small pan and add all the whole spices and pieces of coconut. Cook gently until the coconut is slightly browned. Once everything is lightly toasted, add in the turmeric and cook for another minute to coat everything in the yellow powder, and then tip it all into the pan of lentils. Add the salt, and stir the lentils and the flavourings together. If the dal is getting a bit too thick then add a bit of extra water, and check the seasoning, while you you warm it over a gentle heat. Serve with rice, <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/saag-bengali-style-spring-greens.html" target="_blank">saag</a>, and <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/bengali-style-tuna-fishcakes-or-macher.html" target="_blank">something fried</a>, or whatever else you fancy really.<br />
<br />TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-50292098725959496032014-01-26T21:54:00.002+00:002014-01-27T12:57:15.888+00:00Hello 2014!I've been a little quiet on the blogging front recently- I attribute it to being in India last month, general hectic-ness around the Christmas break, and laziness.<br />
Anyway here is a quick photo update on my recent eatings.<br />
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Kolkata involved a lot of family meals, a wedding, and copious visits to <i><a href="http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/15/can-bengali-mishti-go-global/?_r=0" target="_blank">mishti dokans</a></i>. This led to me experiencing the chocolate sandesh via <a href="http://balarammullick.com/adver/108611aboutus.html" target="_blank">Balaram Mullick</a> for the first time- and I declare it to be surprisingly good.<br />
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Christmas dinner involved a highly indulgent Indian meal, with some Bengali and north Indian standards- saag, cholar dahl, prawn biriyani (which turned into more of a pilao rice really), tandoori-style salmon, and paneer tikka. New year went heavy on the seafood, and light on the crazy partying.<br />
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Anyway, here's to 2014 and whatever it might bring!</div>
TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-80043549841157499482013-11-28T10:54:00.000+00:002014-05-09T21:43:45.495+01:00Rice Boat, Cambridge, UK- A return visitIt's been a while since I've been to The Rice Boat, but rumours of increasingly dubious service and variations in food quality have been widespread. The last time we did go they had no parathas, dosas, uppams, chapattis, or utthappams available, and we encountered a rather unpleasantly (rather than comically) rude server. And despite my love of the masala dosa I've not made much effort to head to that side of Cambridge lately.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">But the other week, the Male Companion Person and I were in the area, and decided that The Rice Boat would make an excellent venue for discussing the Werner Herzog film we'd just seen, as well as dinner. Not much has changed- the tables are looking increasingly scratched and careworn, the door still doesn't close properly (though the waiting staff were on the case with shutting it and minimising icy gales), service is still kind of sketchy (you're not allowed to have fresh cutlery between starters and main courses), but the food is still really good! Well most of it. The pepper fry squid starter was incredibly bland and didn't appear to have been seasoned with anything. It was sort of alright when eaten along with the fried, salted whitebait though. But the main courses were back on top form. I had my usual masala dosa, which was light and generously stuffed with gently spiced potato, and came with two coconut chutneys and sambar. And the MCP had his usual Kerela red fish curry, which was super-spicy as anticipated. We also shared a small green bean thoren and an aubergine theeyal. I was particularly taken with the latter, and its combination of aubergine, tamarind and coconut.</span><br />
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Service that night was perfectly functional (apart from the weird cutlery rule), and our bill was around £50, including drinks but not service. So not a huge bargain, but perfectly reasonable considering the amount of food that was consumed. And despite everything, Rice Boat definitely do make the best masala dosa in Cambridge.<br />
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<a href="http://www.riceboat.com/index.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rice Boat</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">37 Newnham Road</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cambridge CB3 9EY</span>TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-44211578856974493242013-11-19T19:52:00.000+00:002013-11-19T19:52:42.551+00:00Courgette carbonara <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I spotted several recipes for making 'spaghetti' with courgettes ages ago, but put them out of my mind due to the loss of my 'julienne-ing' device (basically a potato peeler but with a segmented blade). But when it miraculously reappeared in the drawer from which it had previously vanished, I took it as a sign. Of course courgette spaghetti is nothing like proper pasta, but it can be cut into long strips and doesn't fall apart once cooked. It's therefore ideal for gluten-free-ers, or anyone wanting a lighter alternative to a proper carbonara.<br />
I don't eat meat, so actually I've never had a 'proper' carbonara, but this is my completely inauthentic pescatarian version.<br />
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Recipe (enough for two with leftovers):<br />
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3 medium courgettes<br />
2-3 tblsp olive oil<br />
1 egg yolk<br />
Around 200g chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced<br />
1 50g tin anchovies in olive oil<br />
3 large cloves of garlic, crushed<br />
300ml creme fraiche<br />
Around 100g finely grated Parmesan cheese<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
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Firstly use the most appropriate instrument you have to hand eg food processor, sharp knife, julienne peeler, to make your courgette spaghetti. Dress the courgettes with a couple of spoons of olive oil to stop any discolouration, and put to one side. Mix the egg yolk thoroughly with the creme fraiche, and most of the cheese, and add plenty of black pepper and a little salt. Make sure you have your garlic and mushrooms, prepped and ready to go. Firstly cook the courgettes a little- put a tablespoon or so of oil in a large pan (non-stick works well for this) over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add in the courgettes and cook for around 5 minutes. The courgettes should have softened but not be fully cooked through. Tip them out into a bowl and put the pan back on the heat. Next add the anchovies and all their oil into the pan, cook over a medium heat until the anchovies start breaking up, and then put in the garlic and mushrooms. Cook over a high-ish heat so that the mushrooms fry and take on some colour. Once they've done this, add the courgettes back in and continue to heat over a medium-high flame until they are cooked to your liking (they should hold together and not turn to pulp). When cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the creme fraiche mix. The residual heat from the pan should loosen this thick mixture, and coat the courgette strands. And that's it! Have a taste and add more salt and pepper if needed, and then serve with a little extra Parmesan on the top.<br />
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You can make this dish properly vegetarian by omitting the anchovies, and using something like chopped fresh basil or thyme, or some dried herbs instead; and by using a veggie-friendly Italian-style hard cheese.<br />
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This would make a great non-stodgy summer dish, when there is often a glut of courgettes about. But I ate it last week in November, whilst wearing a jumper, and that seemed to work fine too.TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-74938159108442598772013-11-12T17:08:00.000+00:002013-11-13T14:40:03.743+00:00Afternoon Tease, Cambridge, UK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just a quick post for now, alerting folk to the opening of a new cafe in Cambridge. It still doesn't seem like
that long ago that I was enjoying Jo Kruczynska's food as one half of the <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/platelickers-supperclub-cambridge-uk.html" target="_blank">Plate Lickers supperclub</a> team. And now she has her own cafe!<br />
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Located on King's Street in the centre of Cambridge, I popped into the eponymous Afternoon Tease when it had only been open for a week or so. However, everything was already working like a well-honed machine, and I was soon ensconced by a table with a cup of tea and a chocolate brownie. The cafe isn't huge inside, but makes the most of the available space, and most importantly (on the basis of my first visit) serves excellent hot drinks and cakes. I am full of admiration for <a href="https://twitter.com/afternoontease" target="_blank">Ms Afternoon Tease</a> herself, for getting this project off the ground so quickly, and hope to be back for another visit soon.<br />
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<a href="http://afternoontease.co.uk/" target="_blank">Afternoon Tease</a><br />
13 King Street<br />
Cambridge CB1 1LH<br />
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TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-33071032500294680692013-11-04T20:06:00.000+00:002014-02-08T13:51:38.374+00:00Caravan, King's Cross, London, UK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So I took a bit of a break from work last week, and had a day in London to meet up with an old pal. We decided to try out the new branch of Caravan that has recently opened behind King's Cross station, in an area that is undergoing loads of re-development. Caravan is based in a row of old grain warehouses and maintains an air of industrial comfort. It was pretty busy when we arrived (without a booking), but a after a bit of intense computer activity from the friendly front of house person a table for two appeared.<br />
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I guess the food at Caravan is a sort of sophisticated cafe-style. It's all very informal, with a few ingredients, but put together well. We shared a couple of small plates and a pizza between us, which was perfect for lunch for two pretty hungry people. A salad of quinoa, feta cheese, butternut squash and broccoli, was something I could easily have put together at home but was fresh and tasty nevertheless.<br />
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Grilled kefalotyri cheese, (with pickled mushrooms, and skordalia), was not something I've eaten before. The cheese was quite rich, but with much more flavour than halloumi, and the mushrooms were an excellent addition to balance everything out.<br />
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Our pizza with white anchovies, olives and mascarpone was also pretty excellent, with a light and non-stodgy base.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Errr?????</span></i></div>
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Things took a bit of a slide when our puddings appeared though. As my friend pointed out a big brown smear is never a good look on a plate, even though her chocolate cheesecake was acceptable. My orange semolina cake was pretty tasteless though, with a dry, mealy texture, and I found the saffron ice cream it came with overpoweringly floral. The whole thing also came with a load of bright pink fluff, that looked like a hipster's hair extension had fallen onto my plate. I did taste a bit of it and it was vaguely rose flavoured, which didn't really help with the already excessive floral-ness.<br />
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Anyway, odd deserts aside, I still really liked Caravan. It had a nice, relaxed atmosphere, service was friendly (though catching someone's eye was sometimes a little problematic), and most of the food was pretty good. It is also incredibly handy to have somewhere nice to go and eat near King's Cross, as that's the London station I use most. Lunch for the two of us was around £40 (with no alcoholic drinks), so is also very reasonable cost-wise. So I would happily go back to Caravan, but perhaps while maintaining a healthy scepticism with regard to their puddings.<br />
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<a href="http://www.caravankingscross.co.uk/" target="_blank">Caravan</a><br />
Granary Building<br />
1 Granary Square<br />
London N1C 4AA<br />
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<br />TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264129257890282368.post-30903213686842314932013-10-28T19:38:00.000+00:002014-02-08T13:51:50.832+00:00Cauliflower fried rice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am a big fan of the cauliflower, but up until recently I had generally only used it in traditional Indian dishes or in cauliflower cheese. Things like cauliflower purée, seemed unnecessarily complex and a bit odd. However, I have now fully recanted these previously held views and opinions. Cauliflowers are flipping amazing when puréed (making a handy alternative to mashed potatoes) and for all manner of other things. I have documented the cauliflower crust pizza and cottage pie <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/cauliflower-crust-pizza.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://fastestfoodblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/vegetarian-cauliflower-cheese-cottage.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and last weekend prompted by a post on the <a href="http://www.domesticsluttery.com/2013/10/sluttishly-vegetarian-egg-fried.html" target="_blank">Domestic Sluttery blog</a>, I made cauliflower fried 'rice'. <br />
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This basically involves grating the cauliflower into small grain-like pieces, which is a lot easier if you have a food processor with a grating blade. I'd say a medium cauliflower for two people would be more than enough. Most recipes suggest you throw it straight into a wok with the rest of of your fried rice ingredients, but I decided to cook mine in boiling water first and then allowed it cool (this might be completely unnecessary but does mean you can prepare stuff in advance). So when it came to eat, it was just a matter of slicing up some red pepper, mushrooms, green beans, spring onions, and garlic, and stir frying for a few minutes until tender. And then adding the cooked cauliflower, seasoning with black pepper and soy sauce, and keeping the wok moving until everything was heated through. I also added some prawns, but this wasn't essential. The end result is a slightly lighter, vegetable-packed, fried rice that was thoroughly delicious as the cauliflower maintains its separate 'grains' and absorbs flavours in a similar way to white rice. I served this with some tofu and black beans, and extra vegetables, and was very full up shortly afterwards.TheFastestIndianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707725781403618243noreply@blogger.com2