More Turkish fun...

So I haven't blogged in a while... been dealing w/ life and such. Anyhow, I attended the final Art of Turkish Cuisine class of this session and here's what I learned. I'll upload some pics later from my other computer.
Everything was so tasty and I've made the Cabbage salad and the Sulu Kefte today at home.

Turkish Cabbage Salad
1 head cabbage shredded or finely chopped
Sprinkle w/ a lot of salt to remove excess water & soften it. Mix it well. Let sit for 5-10 min, then rinse well and squeeze out as much water as possible.

Sauce:
1 ½-2 C plain yogurt
3-5 T mayonnaise
2 T olive oil
1 clove finely chopped garlic (optional)
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour sauce over cabbage & top w/ chopped fresh parsley or dill, shredded carrots, and garnish w/ walnuts.


Sulu Kofte (Meatballs in tomato sauce/soup)

1 lb ground beef
¾ C rice (uncooked)
1 onion grated or finely chopped
1 egg
2 potatoes (cut into small cubes)
1 C flour
1 t black pepper
1 t dried mint
1 t cumin (or 2)
1 t salt
1 or 2 T tomato paste (or 1 C tomato sauce)
2-3 T butter or oil
5-6 C warm water

Put flour in a large tray (pie pan works well) to keep meatballs in. Mix beef, rice, onion, & egg together. Add black pepper, mint, cumin, & salt then knead well. Make hazelnut sized balls from the meat mixture. Put these balls into the floured tray/dish and shake well so that the flour fully coats the meatballs.
Put oil or butter into a pot and add potatoes & simmer them for 3 min. Add tomato paste and simmer another 1 min. Add water & stir well. Bring this to a boil. When it is boiling gently add meatballs slowly into the pot & cook for about 2-30 min. on medium heat. *Gently* stir occasionally and add salt if needed.
Serve with bread.



Stuffed Kadaifi (Kadaifi Dolmas)
2 C water
2 C sugar
Bring to boil and stir, let cool.

1 pkg Kadaifi (shredded phyllo dough)
1 ½ sticks of b utter
Pull kadaifi apart and drizzle well w/ melted butter.

You will need either a demitasse cup or small tea cup or muffin tin to form these into “nests”.
1 ½ - 2 C walnuts (chopped roughly)
Fill bottom of cup w/ a small portion of dough and press it down. Add 1 T walnuts and cover w/ another portion of dough. Flip the cup or tin over to release the “nest” and place in a baking dish. Repeat until all dough & walnuts are used.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 2-25 min until golden brown on top. After removing from the oven, pour the syrup mixture evenly over the “nests” and serve.

Yogurt success!

So, I got the consistency right w/ this last batch. This is definitely more of the consistency I was looking for. So it's rather lengthy, but here's the recipe I used:

What You Will Need
• To make about 4 cups of yogurt, you'll need the following ingredients and equipment. **I doubled this**
Ingredients
• 1 quart milk (skim, 1%, 2%, or whole)
• 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk (optional; will result in a thicker yogurt with a higher protein content)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons plain yogurt with active cultures
o You can use store-bought yogurt as a starter for your first batch; once you have produced your own yogurt, you can use a portion of your stock to culture subsequent batches
• Sweeteners and flavorings, if desired
o See the flavorings section for ideas
Equipment
• Double boiler
• Metal spoon (which you can sterilize)
• Candy thermometer
• 1 quart-size container or 4 or 5 cup-size containers to hold finished yogurt, with lids
o Plastic wrap if container(s) do not have lids
• Dish towel
• One of the following: slow cooker; oven; heating pad and cutting board; or cooler
• Refrigerator
Step 1: Sterilize Your Equipment
• Make sure everything you're going to use to make your yogurt is extremely clean!
1. The easiest way to ensure that your equipment (saucepan, bowls, heatproof yogurt containers, utensils, etc.) is scrupulously clean is to run it through a dishwasher with a heated drying cycle.
2. Alternatively, wash your containers and tools well in warm water with dish detergent and let the dishes air-dry.
3. Then fill containers with boiling water and let them stand until you are ready to fill them with yogurt.
Step 2: Heat Your Milk
• Even if you use pasteurized milk, it will require sterilization due to the bacteria it contains.
1. Fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and bring to simmer over medium heat.
2. Pour milk into top of double boiler.
o Add nonfat powdered dry milk if using.
3. Heat milk slowly, stirring continuously with a metal spoon, until small bubbles gather around the perimeter and steam rises from the surface.
4. The temperature of the milk should be between 180 degrees F and 200 degrees F.
o Do not allow milk to boil.
5. Keep milk at this temperature for approximately 10 minutes, stirring frequently with a metal spoon.
o Be sure to stir up from the bottom of the pot so the milk at the bottom doesn't scorch.
Step 3: Add the Culture
• Once it has been sterilized, you must bring the temperature of the milk down so that the heat doesn't kill off the beneficial bacteria in the warmed starter culture.
1. Bring your starter out of the refrigerator so it can reach room temperature.
2. Remove the top pan of the double boiler and place in the refrigerator.
o Alternatively, place it in a pan of very cold water, making sure that no water rises over the side and mixes with the milk.
3. Keep checking the temperature of the milk every few minutes.
4. You don't want to add the starter until the milk has dropped to below 120 degrees F, but do not let the milk fall below 100 degrees F.
o The ideal temperature at which to add the starter is approximately 110 to 112 degrees F.
5. When the milk reaches 115 degrees F, remove from refrigerator or water bath and stir.
6. Remove about a cup of the milk.
7. Stir 3 tablespoons plain yogurt with live active cultures into the cup of milk.
8. Stir this back into the pot of sterilized milk.
9. Your milk has now been cultured, or pitched.
10. Cover the cultured milk.
Step 4: Incubate the Bacteria
• Incubating the beneficial bacteria in your yogurt is the trickiest part of the whole procedure. If the temperature of the milk mixture is too low, the bacteria won't grow enough to produce yogurt. If the temperature is too high, however, it will kill the bacteria. There are a few methods you can use to regulate the temperature of your milk mixture as it turns to yogurt. Whichever method you choose, be sure to keep an eye on the temperature (use your thermometer!) to make sure it stays within the necessary parameters. Also, for the best results, your developing yogurt should be kept as still and undisturbed as possible.
Oven Method
1. Turn oven to 170 degrees F.
2. When oven comes up to temperature, turn oven off, wait 5 minutes, and place milk mixture inside.
3. For ideal incubation, maintain a temperature of about 110 degrees F inside the oven.
4. Use an oven thermometer or your candy thermometer to monitor the temperature inside the oven.
5. Do not let the oven temperature drop below 100 degrees F.
6. Let incubate for 5 to 7 hours.
Step 5: When Yogurt Is Done
• After the estimated incubation time has elapsed, check your milk to see if it has turned into yogurt. The longer the yogurt remains warm and still, the thicker and tarter it will become.
1. If the yogurt appears to be set and feels slightly firm, it's done.
o It will continue to thicken as it cools.
2. If you haven't already done so, spoon the yogurt out of the top of the double boiler and into the sterilized storage containers (e.g., a large mason jar or several individual-size yogurt cups).
3. Cover each container of yogurt with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap.
4. Store in the refrigerator for no more than 10 days

yogurt - round 2

So I made yogurt Sunday night following a little more closely to this recipe I found online (& I read 5 or 6 of them comparing notes of each one):
Homemade Yogurt
What you need:
• A saucepan
• A thermometer
• 1 quart of milk
• 2 T. plain commercial yogurt (check to be sure it has live yogurt cultures in it.)
• A heavy crock or bowl
First, heat up the milk, stirring constantly so it doesn’t form a skin on top. Take it up to boiling and then immediately remove it from the burner. Let the milk cool back down. The perfect temperature for culturing yogurt is 112°. Anything over 120° will kill the live beasties. Anything under 90° will never provoke them to grow into yogurt.
While the milk is cooling down, I usually put really hot water in the crock so that it is nice and warm when I pour the milk into it. I also turn the oven on to “warm” for a couple of minutes and then off again. The oven is my warm place where the yogurt doesn’t get disturbed.
Once the milk has cooled to appproximately 112°, whisk 2 T. plain yogurt into about 1/2 c. of that warm milk. Get this whisked nice and smooth and then pour into the crock. Pour the warm milk in on top of that and stir it thoroughly. Cover the crock, wrap in a towel, and set it out of the way in the oven. Now, all you need is time.
After a few hours, the yogurt will start setting up. At that point, it still doesn’t have a real sour taste to it. After a few more hours, you’ll be able to taste that classic sour flavor.

**So - my result was: It was tasty but kind of runny (like drinkable yogurt -which was ok). I liked the taste, but the consistency was a bit thinner than I'd like ideally. I ended up making Cacik w/ some of it (a sort of yogurt/cucumber/dill soup) and it was perfect for that. I added some vanilla extract and some stevia to the rest of it and we drank it for breakfast. It was fantastic like that!

So tonight, I'm trying a different recipe using skim milk, non-fat powdered milk and a little different approach, but mostly similar. I have hope for a thicker consistency. I'll post again to let you know the results, and if it was a success, I'll post the recipe.
I LOVE YOGURT!!! So does the hubby... we always keep it on hand here and we both eat it pretty much daily.

Home made yogurt

I love yogurt and have never made it at home, although I have heard it's very easy. The wonderful Turkish women who teach the cooking classes shared their method & recipe w/ me. I'm making it right now - tomorrow morning will reveal whether or not it was a success. Here's the recipe I used. I'll post my thoughts & results later, maybe a picture too.

Plain Yoghurt

Boil 2 litres of milk (~ 8 C), leaving it warm after boiling.
In a separate bowl, mix 1-2 T plain yogurt (from starter or previous batch) w/ a small amount of the boiled milk.
Add the yogurt/milk mixture back in to the boiled milk.
Cover, wrap w/ blankets, leave over night (8-12 hours).
Refrigerate when complete.

Another Turkish Cooking class

Another cooking class today - this was (again) delicious! I was unsure of what to think about "boiled meatballs", but they were terrific. I'll post pictures of it all soon.

More Turkish Recipes from the Atlas Foundation (3/27/09)

Icli Kofte (Boiled Meatballs coated w/ a paste made of cracked wheat)

For the shell mixture:
2 C bulgur (finely ground)
2 C flour
2 t salt

For the stuffing:
½ lb lean ground beef
1 onion chopped fine
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
½ C finely chopped parsley
1-2 T Veg oil
1 t salt
¼ t red pepper
½ t black ground pepper

To prepare the stuffing:
Heat the oil in a pan. Add the ground beef & cook until the beef is no longer pink. Add the onions & garlic & saute’ until onions are transparent. Add the salt, red pepper, black pepper & chopped parsley & mix well. Remove from heat & set aside. You can prepare this ahead of time.

To prepare the shell:
Soak the bulgur in warm water in a large bowl & cover. Let it sit for 1 hour. Have a small bowl of water handy – you will need to dip your hands in water while kneading and for forming the shells. Keep kneading for 15-20 minutes or longer until all ingredients are mixed well and shell mixture is soft enough to give a shape.
1. Take an egg sized piece & put it in your left palm. Make sure your hand is dipped in water before starting to shape the shells.
2. Wet your right index finger & stick it into the egg sized piece of dough & make a hole.
3. Make a half circular movement clockwise and counter clockwise w/ your index finger into the shell while it is still on your left palm to create a thing shell (as thin as possible).
4. Fill the shell w/ stuffing and gently pinch closed.
5. The final shell should look smooth & intact. Make sure to wet your hands so that you can smooth the shell from the outside after you close it.

While you are working w/ the shells, keep the remaining mixture covered w/ a damp cloth. As the mixture tends to dry out, make sure you roll each ball in your hands (dipped in water) before shaping the shells.
6. Boil the shells in water instead of frying them. The boiled shells are then served topped w/ a red sauce.
** Sauce is made by sautéing crushed garlic in vegetable oil and adding red pepper paste to the mixture and some simple spices (salt, pepper, cumin).

You can dip the stuffed shells in this mixture (we had it drizzled over them)and enjoy w/ a Mediterranean salad, plain yogurt or Cacik (recipe to follow)



Cacik (Jijiki, Jajouke) – Chopped Cucumber in Garlic-Flavored Yogurt

1 clove of garlic, minced
1 C cucumber (diced or shredded)
1 ½ C plain yogurt
1 C water
Extra virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Dill (chopped fine) * or finely chopped fresh mint

Place the garlic, yogurt & water in a medium sized bowl. Mix w/ a wooden spoon until it is blended very well. Add cucumber and mix again. With a ladle pour into small bowls and then add 1 T of olive oil on top of each. Garnish w/ fresh dill.

Cacik goes very well as a side dish w/ white beans, rice or chickpeas.

Personal note: We actually mixed everything together in the bowl and used no olive oil. Then served like a chilled soup. Delicious!
I would also (on occasion) omit the water for a thicker consistency as a dip or topping for meats, rice, beans, etc.


Revani

Make a simple syrup by boiling 2 ½ C water and add 2 C sugar, remove from heat and cool, then chill completely. You will pour this over the cooked cake.

1 C sugar
4 eggs
*mix well together – then add:
½ C milk
½ C veg oil
1 C flour
1 T baking powder
1 ½ - 2 C shredded coconut

Mix everything together well and bake @ 375-400 for ~ 30 min.

Indian Cooking w/ Nalini's mom

Indian Cooking w/ Nalini’s Mom!
*pictures will be added soon*
These are some recipes I learned a couple of weekends ago w/ my friend Nalini's mom. Nal's dad is from India and her mom has been cooking Indian food for 35 years. We had a fantastic feast and learned a lot. We're hoping she'll have us over to do it again soon. I also am getting my mom to teach us a class in Southern/Cajun cooking. We had a really nice time hanging w/ the girls and cooking up a storm. Kudos to Bernadette Raghavan for sharing her family recipes w/ us.

Dosai (Crepe/pancake)

1 C wheat/farina
1 C rice flour
½ C all purpose flour
2 T salt
2 C buttermilk
2 C water

Mix together and let sit @ room temp for a minimum of 3 hours, preferably overnight, to ferment. The longer the better.

On a griddle, put a small amount of veg oil and ladle about a 1/3-1/2 C of mixture and spread thinly. As bubbles start to form in the center of crepe/pancake, loosen the edges, and flip to cook other side. Continue process for as many dosai as you want/need. The batter will keep in the refrigerator for several days.


Fried Sambar Powder

1 C dried coriander seed
½ C chana dahl
½ t methi
10 dried red chilies

Fry in oil til flavored & brown. Remove to drain on paper towels, then grind in a spice grinder (or coffee grinder), & keep in refrigerator until use.


Sambar (soup)

2 T veg oil
½ t black mustard seeds
¼ t methi
5-6 curry leaves
~ 2 C vegetables (maybe 3 kinds, cut in large chunks)
------------------------------------------
1 t tamarind paste
1 ½ T sambar powder
1 ½ t salt
Pinch of turmeric powder
~ 2 C water
1 C cooked Toor Dahl
1 T unsweetened shredded coconut
¼ C fresh cilantro (coriander)

Fry the mustard seed til it pops, then add methi & curry leaves in 2T oil. Add veggies and let the oil coat them. Add tamarind, sambar powder, salt, turmeric, & water. Then add Toor dahl, coconut & simmer til veggies are cooked. Add fresh cilantro last 5 min.


Coriander Chutney

3 bunches of cilantro, stems removed
4 fresh green chilies
3 dried red chilies
3 T Urad Dahl
1 T black mustard seeds
2 + T oil (oil lessens the heat of chilies, preserves flavor, & lends to consistency)
1/2-3/4 t hing (asafoetida powder)
2 T brown sugar
1 t salt
¾ t tamarind paste

In a skillet, pop the mustard seeds, then add hing, urad dahl, & chilies, all cilantro, & cook down, adding a tiny bit of water if needed. Add brown sugar, salt, & tamarind. Put everything in a blender or food processor and blend adding a little water till you get the consistency you want.


Potato Masala

9 med potatoes peeled, boiled, & cubed
1 onion sliced (half moon slices)
1 green chili pepper
1 ½ T finely chopped ginger
Oil & ghee
1/3-1/2 C cashew nuts
1 T urad dahl
2 red chilies (to be removed after cooking)
1 t cumin seed
1 ½ t mustard seed
2 t hing
5-6 curry leaves
1 ½ t salt
1 t turmeric
1 handful of fresh chopped cilantro

In a skillet, in a combo of oil & ghee, saute’ onion, green chili pepper, & ginger, til onions are translucent. Either remove onion mixture temporarily or use a separate skillet to fry/saute’ all other ingredients together (except cilantro)– starting w/ the black mustard seed til it pops. Then add cashew nuts, urad dahl, red chilies, cumin seed, hing, curry leaves, salt, & turmeric. Fry all this together, then add onion mixture back in, then add potatoes in and roughly mash or break the potatoes up. Finally, add the cilantro in, stir to mix together. Serve w/ dosai.
This can also be used as a “stuffing” for the dosai.

getting a "round tuit"

I've been meaning to post some new recipes since last week, but I've been super busy moving my office and *trying* to get my tax chit together. Hopefully, I'll get most of that stuff done this weekend and get back to posting.

I took an Indian cooking class last weekend w/ a friend's mom who has been cooking Indian food since she married her husband from India 35 years ago. I learned a lot and took plenty of notes. I need to type up the recipes and get them posted - she gave me permission to post them. I also have some pics of what we made, so I'll try to put that on here too.
Till then.... cheers!
Noura