Tag: spicy

BAKED JALAPENO POPPERS


When my husband and I found a plethora of long hot peppers on the reduced rack at the grocery store, we immediately thought jalapeno poppers.  I know that jalapeno poppers, by name, are exclusive to peppers that are in fact jalapenos, but hey, when I am ever bothered by exclusivity in my kitchen, so  I decided to switch it up.  Here, I used two different kinds of peppers, and you will notice that I left the seeds in my version because after, bravely or through sheer stupidity, tasting a seed, I realized that these peppers were mild.  Please feel free remove the pith and seeds if you choose.  Just choose a pepper that has enough internal space to be stuffed.

I have opted to bake these, although I will admit that when they are grilled on the barbecue, they are exceptional.  I wanted a version that I could eat guilt-free, okay, relatively guilt-free. They are easy to prepare and can be made ahead.  Creamy, cheesy, and spicy, with a little crunch from the bread crumbs, they disappear fast in our home.

The only warnings I wish to impart is to wear gloves when handling hot peppers, taste the seed very cautiously, or better yet, get someone else to taste it!  The things we have to do for an exceptional popper!

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

8 peppers, suitable for stuffing, slit down the middle, if preferred, seeds & pith removed
100 grams of cream cheese, softened
20 grams of cheddar cheese, finely grated
1 green onion, trimmed, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh coriander, finely chopped
1/2 cup of dried bread crumbs, plus more if needed

METHOD

  1.  Wash and slit the peppers down the middle only on side, being careful not to pierce through to the other side of the pepper. Two of my peppers were quite large, so I opted to split them in half versus slitting them.  If preferred, remove the pith and seeds.  Set aside.
  2. Using a small spatula or a spoon, combine both cheeses, green onion, and  fresh coriander, ensuring that they form one cohesive mass.  Depending on the size of your peppers, form little nuggets of the cheese mixture.  This helps when stuffing the peppers.
  3. Stuff the peppers.  My long peppers, took  1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of filling, while my small peppers took 1 tablespoon.  Steps 1 to 3 can be made ahead.  If making ahead, store them in the fridge till ready to bake.
  4. When ready to bake, place the bread crumbs on a plate, and dip the stuffed peppers into the bread mixture.  Press down to ensure that the exposed cheese mixture is coated in bread crumbs.  The more bread crumbs you can press on, the crunchier your end popper result.
  5. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven on a greased cookie sheet for 10-12 or until the bread crumbs have browned, and the cheese is melted.  Be careful, its hot!

 

RadhaLeave a comment

DAL MAKHANI – lentils in tomato sauce

img_99945Dal Makhani is an excellent example of how simple cooking can lead to a beautiful plate of comfort food.  Dal refers to the lentils in this stew.  I only say stew for a lack of a better word,  and I definitely will not say that this is a curry.  Yes, the word curry can be used to describe vegetables or meat in an array of spices, but I find this term too general.  img_99542
The dal in this recipe refers to a combination of black lentils (urad dal or black gram), red kidney beans (rajma), and chickpeas (chaana dal).  The chickpeas is not original to the recipe, I like the contrast of colour that the chickpeas provide.  This further exemplifies the motto of homemade cooking, which is to use whatever is handy for you, and of course this includes canned lentils or beans of any kind.  If using canned lentils or beans, skip ahead to where the cooked lentils are introduced to the sauce.  Makhani refers to cooking with butter,  so essentially we are making lentils with butter in a velvety tomato sauce.
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INGREDIENTS 

LENTILS
3/4 cup (150 grams) dried urad dal/black gram
1/4 cup (50 grams) dried red kidney beans
1/4 cup (50 grams) dried chickpeas
1 1/2 inch of ginger, peeled, sliced thinly
3 cloves of garlic, peeled, sliced thinly
2 green chilis, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon of salt

SAUCE
2 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
1/8 teaspoon of ground asafoetida
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 1/2 -2 cups of tomato sauce
1 tablespoon of red chili powder
1/4 cup heavy cream or Greek yogurt

TO FINISH
1 teaspoon of ground garam masala
3-4 tablespoons of butter
salt to taste
coriander, chopped
juice of a lemon or lime

METHOD

  1. The Lentils.  Method 1: Soak the lentils in cold water overnight, then rinse and drain.  Add 4 cups of cold water, or the amount required to have the lentils submerged 1 1/2 inches in water, add the sliced ginger, garlic, chili, salt, and bring them up to a boil.  Once boiling, turn heat to simmer, and let the lentils cook until tender, about 1 1/2 hours.  Drain and reserve any excess cooking water for later.  Set aside.  Method 2 (a bit quicker): Soak the lentils in boiling water for 2-3 hours, then rinse and drain; continue with the directions from Method 1.  Feel free to use canned lentils to save further on time.  Note: I find the black lentils will be more done than the kidney beans and chickpeas, but I prefer this end result, as it adds a velvety texture to the sauce.
  2. In a sauce pan, melt the butter on medium low heat, let it foam, until slightly browned.  Add the cumin and fenugreek seeds, and toast for 30 seconds or until fragrant.  Reduce the heat to low, add the ground asafoetida, the chopped garlic, and toast slightly, being careful not to burn the garlic.  Pour in the tomato sauce, increasing the heat to medium high and let mixture simmer for 1 minute.
  3. Add the cooked lentils, the chili powder, along with the reserved cooking water to loosen the sauce to the consistency you prefer, keeping in mind that the sauce still has to further simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Let the mixture simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, and if you wish, you can use the back of your ladle to mash some of the lentils to aid to its final texture.  With 5 minutes to go of the simmering time, add the cream (which is traditional, but I didn’t have any, so I added Greek yogurt, which I had handy).  Take it off the heat.
  4. To finish.  Just before serving, while the dal is still hot, finish with as much butter as you like, and the garam masala.  Taste and adjust the salt as required, along with a squeeze of lemon or lime to cut through the richness, and sprinkle with coriander.  Serve with naan or chapati, rice, and with tomato pachadi.

Radha