Chocolate corn porridge

This porridge is based on a Mexican drink atole made with a type of cornmeal called masa harina. I did not have masa harina so I used ordinary cornmeal and made it the consistency of porridge rather than a thick drink. The chocolate flavoured version of atole is known as champurrado, which has spices added to it and is sweetened with piloncillo, which is similar to jaggery. In a manner similar to the chocolate porridge recipe on this blog, I added just a little chocolate and sweetener as a topping to avoid making it too rich for breakfast, while retaining the flavours in each mouthful. If jaggery is unavailable use brown sugar, the soft moist kind if possible so that it melts on top of the hot porridge and provides a toffee or caramel taste that complements the bittersweet chocolate.

Servings:1

Ingredients
5 tablespoons cornmeal/polenta 
1 cup/ 250 ml + 2 tablespoons milk (add a pinch of sugar if using unsweetened milk)
1/2 stick cinnamon or 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
2 cloves
Dark chocolate, jaggery (or soft brown sugar) and nutmeg, to grate on top
Cinnamon powder, for garnish

Method 

1.   Whisk the cornmeal and milk in a microwaveable bowl and mix   in the cinnamon stick and cloves.

2.   Microwave on High for 1 minute 30 seconds. Whisk well and microwave on High for another 2 minutes.

3.   It should be thickened but dry and should not taste bitter. 

4.   If it is bitter, heat for 30 seconds at time, whisking in between until it is no longer bitter.   

5.   If it is dry whisk in 1-2 tablespoons of milk and microwave for 15 seconds to heat through.  

6.   Discard the cinnamon stick and cloves.

7.   Transfer to a serving bowl and to serve, grate (to taste) a small amount of nutmeg, dark chocolate and jaggery on top (or sprinkle with brown sugar) and sprinkle over the cinnamon. 

Masala sprouts and tofu breakfast rice

Inspired by both the Indian khichdi, a mix of rice and lentils, and its British incarnation, the traditional breakfast dish kedgeree, which combines curried rice with eggs and fish and parsley. I have added sprouts and tofu to the rice in place of the lentils, and eggs and fish, and coriander instead of parsley as well as flavoured it with both North and South Indian spice mixtures. It is good way to use up leftover rice. 

Serves: 2

Ingredients
3/4 cups cold cooked rice 
1/4 cup cubed tofu
1/4 cup lentil sprouts
1/4 cup onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1/2 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon sambar powder/South Indian curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons chopped coriander, plus a few sprigs (optional) to garnish
Salt to taste

Method
Heat the oil in a pan over a low heat and saute the onion and ginger for about 5 minutes. Add the cumin seeds and continue to cook until the onions have softened. Add the sambhar powder, garam masala and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Immediately add the tofu and sprouts and mix to coat well with the spices. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup/60 ml of water, increase to medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the water is absorbed and the sprouts are tender. Add the cooked rice, mix well and cook until the rice is hot. Stir in chopped coriander, add salt to taste and serve garnished with more coriander if desired.

Quinoa, sweet potato and broccoli with creamy pepper dressing

Another quinoa recipe that is very simple to make. It is inspired by the idea of a 'bowl', which generally comprises a few different components served together with a sauce poured on top. Usually there is something in the lines of a grain, a vegetable and a protein. In this recipe there is broccoli, starchy sweet potato and high protein quinoa with a nutty sauce.

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes
1 broccoli, broken into small florets and with the stems thinly sliced or chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon oil

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons nut or seed butter (I used coconut-cashew nut butter, other good choices would be plain cashew nut butter, sunflower seed butter, almond butter and tahini - I would not recommend peanut butter in this dish as its flavour would be too strong)
1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar but use any of your choice that is not too strongly flavoured like balsamic vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground or crushed black pepper
2-4 tablespoons of water

Method

Cook the quinoa according to package directions and drain if necessary. Cook the sweet potatoes by any method of your choice (I microwaved them), peeled and cut into 2 cm/ 3/4 in chunks. Prepare the dressing by mixing the pepper and lemon juice with the nut or seed butter until creamy. Add the vinegar and mix well. Dilute to a desired consistency, adding a little water at a time. It should be pourable with a spoon but not too thin as it would sink to bottom of the bowl. Heat the oil in a pan over a high heat and stir-fry the onion for 2-3 minutes. Add the broccoli and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, until the broccoli is tender crisp. Reheat the components if necessary and divide the quinoa, sweet potato and broccoli between the bowls for each serving. Serve drizzled generously with the dressing.

Quinostrone

2013 has been declared the International Year of Quinoa so here is a quinoa based recipe for the New Year. The first time I made this version of the traditional Italian soup minestrone. The vegetables did not cook properly, the broth lacked flavour, the greens were bitter and the quinoa gave it an unpleasant texture. The next time I did not have all the vegetables needed for the common version of minestrone. I substituted some parsnip for the celery and used a larger amount of onion since I only had little garlic. I also cooked the quinoa separately and added it afterwards to the soup and also added the greens towards the end to avoid a bitter taste. The result was a tasty and satisfying stew, which is a meal in itself.

Ingredients
1/3 cup quinoa
400 g tomatoes, finely chopped (it is better to use canned tomatoes or add 3-4 tablespoons of tomato puree if you cannot find sweet, juicy tomatoes since tomatoes are an integral part of the soup)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 parsnip, finely chopped (if you prefer substitute two sticks of celery)
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
Two handfuls of green leaves of your choice, finely shredded (I used half each of kale and spinach)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 crushed dried red chilli (or a pinch of dried chilli flakes)
1 teaspoon each:
Dried mixed italian herbs
Dried rosemary
Dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Cook the quinoa according to directions on the packaging. Drain if necessary when cooked and keep aside. Usually you need to add the quinoa to twice its volume (here 2/3 cup) of boiling water in a pan, allow it to return to the boil, lower the heat and cover and simmer for about 15 mins.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add the onion, garlic, parsnip carrot, dried chilli and half of the dried herbs. Saute for about 10 minutes until the onions soften. Add the tomatoes and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes are soft and juicy. Add about 750ml/3 cups of water, bring to the boil and simmer, covered for about 10 mins. Add the quinoa and the rest of the dried herbs and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the  vegetables, particularly the carrot and parsnip, are soft. If you are using any tough greens like kale, chard, collards or cabbage, add them now and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the greens are tender. Then stir in tender greens like spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, until they have wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Chocolate and spice oats porridge

More of a flavour combination than a recipe but I thought I would post it as molten chocolate and warm spices are delicious with creamy oats porridge. The chocolate is added in a small amount and as there is little other sweetening, it contributes to the taste and texture without making the porridge too rich to enjoy for breakfast. Try to use very dark chocolate (with at least 70% cocoa solids; I usually use chocolate with 85% cocoa solids) to ensure a strong chocolate flavour.

Servings:1

Ingredients
3/4 cup rolled/porridge oats
3/4 cup milk (see note)
1/2 cup water
1-2 squares of  bitter dark chocolate (depending on size of squares and preference)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
a pinch of granulated sugar (see note)
Nutmeg to grate freshly

Method
Mix the oats, milk and water in a pan and heat over a medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is thick and the oats have swelled and softened. If it becomes too thick early on, add more water and/or milk and continue to cook. Transfer the cooked porridge into a serving bowl. Grate the chocolate evenly on top of the oats and sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar. Grate the nutmeg about 10 times. Serve immediately.

NOTE:
I usually use non-dairy hazelnut or almond milk as they complement the nutty flavour of the oats. These milks are lightly sweetened but if using unsweetened milk add about 1/2 -1 teaspoon sugar. I do not add any other sweetening except for the pinch of sugar, whose purpose is to provide a crunchy texture rather than sweetness. If using sugar make sure it is granulated. Generally I use Demarara sugar. Instead of sugar you could also sprinkle on 1-2 teaspoons of finely chopped roasted almonds or other nuts. Another variation I have sometimes tried is to stir in about a tablespoon of nut butter (I have used almond and cashew nut butters). This is tasty but I think makes the porridge more of a dessert and find it too rich to eat as a large portion for breakfast.

Thayir sadam with manga thundam (Curd rice with spiced raw mango “bits”)

One of my favourite dishes, this is a true South Indian culinary masterpiece. The spiced raw mango has a fusion of hot, sour, bitter and pungent flavours and the pairing with cool, creamy curd rice is unbeatable. I like to rub the mango pieces with a little salt before adding the remaining ingredients to make the mango bits more tender and juicy. For seasoning purposes, I prefer to add kala namak/black salt as it combines well with raw mango but you do not need to use it if it is unavailable or if you do not like the taste. 

Servings: 2-3
    

Ingredients

For the thayir sadam:

Cold cooked rice (whole-grain rice is works well in this combination; I used a mixture of white and red rice, as you can see by the slight reddish tinge the rice has in the photograph)

For the manga thundam:
2 medium raw mangoes

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon salt

To taste:

Salt, preferably kala namak/black salt

Chilli powder

Asafoetida powder

Roasted, powdered fenugreek seeds

Method
To make the manga thundam, chop the raw mangoes finely and rub well with the 1 teaspoon of salt, till the mangoes release some liquid. Toss with the spices (except for the mustard seeds) and salt. I suggest adding just a little of each spice at this point. Heat the oil in a ladle or small pan and fry the mustard seeds until they splutter. Add the mustard seeds along with the oil to the mango bits. Taste and adjust the amount of spices if necessary.

For curd rice, take the desired quantity of rice and mix with it enough yoghurt to obtain a consistency that you like. I prefer the consistency obtained by from a ratio of approximately 2:1 of volume of rice to yoghurt.  Serve with the manga thundam.

Quinoa congee with vegetables and tofu

Congee is a savoury rice porridge served in many Asian countries.  This version uses a mixture of rice and quinoa and adds vegetables and tofu. It is a light yet filling meal.

 

Servings: 2-3
    

Ingredients
50 g rice (I used short grain red rice)

50 g quinoa

2 sticks celery, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

About 100 g tofu (not the silken variety), thinly sliced

1 teaspoon soya sauce (I used tamari)

1 teaspoon oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and sauté the carrot, celery and ginger for 5 minutes. Add the rice and quinoa, mix well and cook for another minute. Add about 3 cups/750ml/12 oz water, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 25-35 minutes. Check occasionally and add more water if a lot of it gets absorbed. The cooking time will vary according to the variety of rice. The rice I used took about 30 minutes to cook. Since the quinoa cooks quite quickly, ensure that the rice is cooked before proceeding further. 

In the meantime, heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and toast the tofu for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown on both sides. Chop the slices into smaller bits and keep aside. When the rice has cooked, uncover and bring the mixture to the boil, adding some of water, if it is too thick (I added about 1 cup/250 ml). Add the soya sauce and simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. Taste first before adding salt as the soya sauce can be quite salty. I did not add any salt. Serve in bowls topped with the tofu bits and sprinkled with black and more soya sauce, if desired.