andhra style mango pickle

4 large green unripe raw mangoes, washed, peeled, and finely grated
1/2 Cup of Sesame Oil
~ 7 tbsp of Red chilli powder (Depends on your spice level)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of Asafoetida
1 1/2 tbsp of roasted mustard-fenugreek seeds powder (each in equal ratio)
salt to taste

Wash the mangoes and peel off the skin and grate them using a grater. Leftover pieces can be cut thin.
Heat a heavy bottomed non stick pan. Add sesame oil.
Cook the pickle on medium flame. Add mustard seeds, asafoetida, salt and turmeric powder.
Add grated mango to the tempering and fry for 15-20 minutes on medium flame, stirring occasionally.
Once the raw smell of mangoes are gone, switch off the stove.
Immediately add red chilli powder and roasted mustard-fenugreek powder to the grated mango mixture and mix well.
Let it cool for about 1-2 hrs. It will ooze oil. Check for salt and add accordingly.
Refrigerate the pickle. Eat using a dry spoon. The pickle lasts about a month.

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adapted from the tales of my cooking

simple light dressing for roasted vegetables

roast

leeks
carrots
potatoes
sweet potatoes
beets
onions
anything else in the world

in this dressing:

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½ lemon, zested and juiced
1 tsp mustard (not yellow hot dog mustard!)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

a few pepper corns, roughly crushed
salt to taste

1 tbsp honey (optional)
herbs, like rosemary or tarragon, whatever you like (optional)

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these ingredients together also makes a perfect salad dressing, with a few splashes of homemade fruit vinegar or whatever vinegar is your favorite.

i’d also bet it makes a great chicken marinade.

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adapted from this

syrian yogurt and tahini sauces

Tahini Sauce: (theneh طحينة)

tahini (~4 T)
juice of half a lemon
salt
water
crushed garlic (opt.)

Add the tahini, lemon juice to a bowl and start mixing with a spoon. The mixture will become stiff and light in colour. Add a little water and mix again. Add the water small amount at a time until the mixture loosens to the consistency you want. It needs to be fairly loose but not water-runny. Add salt to taste.

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Yogurt and Tahini sauce: (Laban wa theneh لبن و طحينة)

This combination is mainly used as a base of many Syrian dishes; Mutabal, Ful bi Laban, Fatteh to name a few.

I occasionally use this combination as a side sauce instead of the pure tahini sauce described above. It is easier to eat as yogurt adds a nice tangy flavour that balance the heaviness of the tahini. I always serve this version with Lahmeh bil saniyeh.

Greek style yogurt 300g
tahini (~3 T)
lemon
salt

To make the sauce whisk together the yogurt and tahini. Add salt and lemon to taste. If the sauce is too thick, loosen with some water.

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Taratour: (طرطور)

thin the above tahini sauce and add “loads of chopped parsley”

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Yogurt and cucumber: (Laban wa khiyar لبن و خيار)

Every country of the Levant and all the neighboring territories have their own version of the famous Tzatziki. This is the Syrian one. In its native countries Tzatziki is usually used as an accompaniment unlike the Western interpretation of serving it as a dip.

In Syria we serve Laban wa Khiyar as a side sauce for “dry” rice and Bulgar pilaf. By dry I mean dishes with the grains as the main ingredient without a vegetable stew on the side. Riz bi Bazalia (Peas rice pilaf) Riz bi Ful (Broad bean rice pilf) and Burgul bi Ful (Broad bean Bulgar pilaf) are some delicious examples.

Yogurt 300g
One cucumber
Salt
Lemon
Garlic one clove
Dry mint 1tsp

Peel and finely chop the cucumber. Add the yogurt, dry mint and crushed garlic. Mix well and add salt and lemon to taste. Thin the mixture with some water if required to get the right consistency.

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from syrian foodie

ram laddoo with chutney

1/2 cup dhuli moong dal/ yellow lentils

1/2 cup chana dal/ bengal gram

salt to taste

oil for deep frying

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grated radish

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Wash and soak both the lentils separately for 3-4 hours. Decant the water completely and grind the lentils to a coarse paste.

Mix the lentils and then beat them till the mixture attains a white color and becomes light and fluffy. I used my beater to beat and it took almost 3-4 minutes to become light.

The mixture should have a dropping consistency like that of a cake. Heat oil and using a spoon put the laddoos in the oil. The oil should be hot enough (use medium flame) so that when the laddoos are put they immediately rise to the surface. Deep fry from either side till golden in color, in batches of 7-8 laddoos per batch and remove on a kitchen towel.

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chutney ingredients

1/4 cup mint leaves

a cup of coriander leaves

3-4 tbsp onion

2 cloves garlic

5-6 green chilies

a tsp lemon juice

1 Indian gooseberry/ amla chopped

1/4 tsp rock salt

salt to taste

1/8 cup water

Grind together all the ingredients using water.

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Serve hot with green chutney and grated radish.

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from foodelicious

vegan pumpkin butter

3 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (not “pie filling” – roast a pumpkin next time you’re roasting garlic and other veggies! or use a can of unseasoned puree.)
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup apple cider or juice
1 cup packed brown sugar
2-3 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
pinch of clove
1 tsp lemon juice (more if needed)

Directions:

Combine pureed pumpkin, vanilla, apple juice, spices, cinnamon sticks and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 – 40 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently. Adjust spices to your taste. Makes 3 3/4 cups.

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adapted from this

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uses for pumpkin butter?

spread on toast, of course
a dip for crunchy cinnamon toast
a dip for apples and pears
in cookie dough, cake batter, or muffins, either mixed in together or spread as a layer
in breads or pancakes
as a filling in pie
served with pork
spread with brie or other soft cheeses
as a glaze, with butter or lard, for carrots, ham, sweet potatoes…
in corn pudding
in milkshakes or smoothies
in groundnut soup, sweet potato soup, stews…
spread on fruit or bread and topped with stewed apples

green olive and lentil dip

1/2 c dried lentils
1/2 c olives
a few lacto-fermented peas or other veggies
2 T. lemon juice
1 clove lacto-fermented garlic
1 T fresh oregano
1 T olive oil

cook lentils in 1 cup water. drain. combine with everything else in food procesor.

adapted from the detox cookbook by snowball

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the book doesn’t discuss it, but i’m willing to bet this is a KILLER sandwich spread.

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months later, i just tried a bunch of olives in my bean dip for the first time, along with a mess of raw onion and herbs. highly recommended!

citrus bleu cheese dipping sauce (5 minutes, 5 ingredients)

this recipe sounds perfect – super fast, incredibly easy, no-cook, 5 ingredient dipping sauce!

1/4 cup blue cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons heavy cream
zest of one Orange
zest of one lemon

ristra hot-sauce

RISTRA – n – an arrangement of drying chile pepper pods

i think it’s finally time to cut down one of the beautiful ristras i made last summer with garden jalapenos and thai chilis!

process:

cut down chiles
rinse dried chiles
toast twice as many as you’ll need at 250 for 10 mins or pan-fry until puffy (EASILY BURNED! TURN OFTEN! BURNING RUINS HOT SAUCE!)

grind half into chile powder; keep in an airproof container for later use. you’ll thank me later. come on, you have your food processor out already!

then take 10 pods and simmer in a cup or two of water for about ten minutes.

taste chile water. if bitter, replace with 1-2 c fresh water.

puree. strain out seeds for a milder version.

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what i actually did:

hot chile puree
roasted carrots
roasted bell pepper
roasted summer squash
roasted garlic
fresh parsley
lime juice
roasted coriander
lime pickles
ginger juice
salt
brine from lacto-fermented green tomatoes and garlic
mango juice

awesome. super-sweet. could be sourer. next time, i might add some live vinegar.

almond butter

i’m unapologetically covered in it.

ingredients:

* almonds

directions:

1. put almonds in the food processor. do this longer than seems rational to you or your food processor’s motor.

2. eat almond butter.

beautiful photos, and much more articulate directions, here, at rawmazing.

i dipped some of my free valentine’s day candy into it, and it was absolutely the best shitty little peanut butter cup i’ve ever had. wow, sugar addictions are brutal. i ate an unbelievable amount of it already with a little honey drizzled over it. good stuff, but wow! ten minutes in the food processor! this simply isn’t practical as an everyday thing.

but i think maybe tomorrow i’ll add honey, cocoa, and vanilla and see what happens.

fermented potato “cheese”

i have no idea how i’ve never noticed this in NOURISHING TRADITIONS by sally fallon before.

4 cups cooked potatoes, peeled
2 cups piima milk or kefir
1 T sea salt

This recipe for fermented potatoes comes from The American Frugal Housewife, published in 1833. Mix ingredients well in food processor. Place in a covered bowl and leave at room temperature for about two days. Place in a large strainer, lined with a clean linen towel (or cheesecloth -ed.). Tie the towel in a bundle to a spoon, hung over a jug or bowl, so the “cheese” can drain. When draining stops, transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

This could easily be made vegan with vegan kefir!