The 20 Minute Gluten Free Bread, Khaman Dhokla.

   This is the kick-off week of cooking season, the time of year when I start to log some serious cooking mileage. Not that I don't cook nearly every day of the week, but this is the time of volume- specialized dining. House guests arrive and with them various dietary requirements. Some  are gluten free, some lactose intolerant, others vegan or vegetarian, and there are always a few Paleo cavemen in the crowd. So, when cooking for a crowd, many of whom have varying allergies, tastes, likes and dislikes, it's always great to be able to kill two birds with one gluten-free stone.
   
   One thing that's happened on more than one occasion is making separate breads for the gluten free, which has lead to a rather unexpected problem. The problem, was keeping the non-celiacs away from this gluten free Gujarati bread. Gujarati cuisine is one the  greatest of the Indian vegetarian kitchens, and whenever I cook for my vegetarian or celiac friends, it's usually where I start.
      A lot of gluten free baked goods use garbanzo bean flour aka besan flour, and it's never put to better use than making Khaman Dhokla. The batter is mixed up quickly, kept in a relatively warm draft-free spot overnight, and then steamed for 20 minutes. It may look complicated, but it's pretty easy.
   
Khaman Dhokla

Here's What You'll Need:

1 and 1/2 cups of sifted garbanzo flour (aka besan)
2 serrano chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1 and 1/2 Tbs finely chopped fresh ginger
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp jaggery or brown sugar
3 Tbs of vegetable oil
2/3 cup of plain yogurt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 Tbs warm water
1/3 cup fresh or dried grated unsweetened coconut. (If you use dried coconut mix it with a dab of water to moisten it)
3 Tbs of chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 Tbs black mustard seeds
1/4 cup unsalted butter

Here's What To Do:  

Seed and slice  the serrano chilies.

(I do this just in case I'm going to be serving this to people who might be concerned about heat. If you like the spicy, forget it and just toss in  the whole serrano chilies.)

Finely chop them mixed with the fresh ginger.
Add the chilies and ginger to the garbanzo flour.

Add in the turmeric, salt, ground black pepper, and brown sugar.

Mix in the 3 Tbs of vegetable oil.

Blend in the yogurt.

Mix everything together well.

You should have a smooth rather thick batter.
Cover the bowl with a towel.

Make sure it's wrapped. You want to keep the contents warm.

I usually tuck the wrapped bowl in an unheated oven for at least 4 hours or overnight so that it can ferment.
If you're draft free locale is your oven, make sure everybody in the house knows that something is fermenting in there, and make sure no one turns the oven on, otherwise trouble ensues!
When the batter has fermented it's time to do the steaming. This is the 20 minute process.

Take a large deep pot.
Put a trivet in the bottom .
Fill it with about an inch or so of water.
This is the little platform that will hold the cake pan for steaming. You can also use a wok or any sort of steamer that will hold the cake pan.
Lightly grease an 8 inch cake pan.
I make thin little straps of folded tin foil and loop them under the bottom of the pan to make it easier to lower it into the pot.

Like this.
Now you're all set to steam the bread.
Bring the water in the pot to a low boil so that it starts to steam.
Sprinkle 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda into the fermented batter.

Mix it in while stirring in 1 Direction only.
Add in the 3 Tbs of warm water.

Add in the 3 tbs of warm water, once again stirring in 1 Direction only!
Just remember. What makes your bread beautiful...1 Direction.



The batter will start to bubble and froth.

Pour the batter into the greased pan.

Lower the pan into the steaming pot.

Cover the pot snugly with a towel.

Put a lid on the pot.

Wrap the sides of the towel around the top of the pot.
Steam the bread for about 12 minutes.
You can make sure it's done by taking the lid off and testing the bread with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, it's done.
Take the bread out of the pot.

Set the pan aside with the towel set over it loosely. Keep it covered for about 10 minutes to rest.
After 10 minutes, turn the bread out on to a plate.

Put the plate onto the top of the cake pan and turn it upside down. It will unmold.

Cut the the bread into criss-cross diamond shapes.

In a small skillet, heat 1/4 cup unsalted butter.
When the butter is hot, toss in 1 and 1/2 Tbs of mustard seeds.

When the mustard seeds start to sizzle and pop...
 Pour it over the top of the cut Dhokla.

Scatter the top with the grated coconut.

Sprinkle on the chopped fresh cilantro.

Cut and stack the pieces.

   You can serve this bread hot out of the steamer or at room temperature. Depending on how it's cut, you can have up to 24 pieces. I usually make this bread for Holiday entertaining. It's great on a buffet table, and so good you won't miss the gluten at all. Coming up next, Indian dishes that go well with what ever you happen to be celebrating. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori

Pass The Prosciutto - Parma Ham and Spinach Quiche, Gluten Free!

   Lately because of what's been going on at home, I've been sifting through all sorts of old family documents. Old photos, silk banners written in Italian, honoring some long forgotten relative for one thing or another, elaborate family photos taken in Florentine studios in the 1890s. You see, even though most of what appears here on my site is Indian food I'm of Italian ancestry. I don't cook Italian food that much except for the big holidays and family gatherings when relatives come calling and demand it. Also, I happen to live in an area on the edge of a vineyard that physically resembles the part of Northern Italy where my family comes from, and every now and then I step out my back door get a look at the grape leaves turning and get my self in a new gnocchi state of mind.

So when the people at one of my favorite food magazines Honest Cooking offered me a chance to get up close and personal with some genuine old country Parma Ham (aka Prosciutto) I couldn't resist. This is my way of letting you know that this is a sponsored post. 

   Straight up, Parma ham is no stranger to me. It was always served on my Nonna's table for Easter, and Christmas, and so I always associate it with The Holidays. My family on my dad's side was in the food business both here and in Italy. My grandfather had 4 small markets in San Francisco, serving what they called back in those days "The Carriage Trade". High end items sold to some of the best families in the city. He and his staff would take orders from the chefs and butlers at the big houses on Nob Hill or Pacific Heights and the groceries would be delivered by horse drawn truck. Think a 19th century Zabars, or a primitive Fresh Direct.

   Of course he carried Parma ham, all natural, no nitrates, just pigs, water, salt and air. All Italian of course. Just the way it's always been, and when I say always been, I'm talking about Cato the Younger.

 

Cato, A Man Who Obviously Knew His Ham

Yeah, that Cato who was enjoying Parma ham back in the day and  gave it the 100 BC version of a Yelp shout-out by mentioning how it was made in his De Agri Coltura. If that isn't enough to convince you, Parma ham was the first meat product awarded PDO status by the EU. That means Protected Designation of Origin. So there you have it. This stuff is the Real McCoy of pork products.

   So in  thinking about what to do with my Parma ham, I couldn't get brunch off of my mind. I also couldn't stop thinking about all my friends who are celiacs and eating a gluten free diet. It's always great when entertaining during the holidays if one keeps it easy. Make ahead or make it fast is the name of the game. So I decided to whip up a quiche that could be served at a brunch, a light lunch at a Game Day party, or as a late night supper. This can be made up on the spot quickly, or made ahead and reheated. It's quiche you remember, that stuff that real men used to not eat? Except this quiche has a crust made with Parma ham, and it's gluten free.

Parma Ham Gluten Free Quiche

Here's What You Need:
15 slices of Parma ham
5 eggs
2 cups ricotta salata cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 oz of spinach, fresh or defrosted frozen
1 medium onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs of olive oil
A pinch or 2 of nutmeg

Here's What To Do:
Lightly grease a pie plate, oven proof cast iron skillet or baking pan with oil.
Line the pan with thing slices of Parma ham.

Crimp the edges slightly as you go forming a crust.

When finished, it should look something like this. Set the pan aside.

Turn the oven up to 350 degrees.
If you are using fresh spinach, plunge it into boiling water for 2 minutes.

After 2  minutes drain it and rinse it in cold water.
Press the excess water out of it and chop it finely. I gave mine a couple of pulses in the food processor.
If you're using frozen chopped spinach (easier yet) just defrost it and press out the excess water.
Set the spinach aside.
Chop the onion finely.
Heat 1 Tbs of olive oil in a pan.
When the oil is hot, toss in the chopped onion.

Saute it until it's translucent.
Add in the chopped spinach.

And the nutmeg.

When everything is heated through, set it aside.
Grate the cheese in a food processor.

Put the 5 room temperature eggs in a large bowl.

Whisk them together.

Fold in the gated cheese.

Mix it together, and add in the spinach, onion and nutmeg mixture.

Stir everything together, until it's well blended.

Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the mixture into the prepared Parma ham crust.

Pop the whole thing into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until it's firm to the touch.
After it comes out, let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Slice it up and serve.

This goes great with a nice green salad, and the Parma ham makes a great crisp crust for the quiche.

   It occurred to me that one doesn't need to just make this quiche with spinach and these particular cheeses. Use your imagination . Try some figs and Gorgonzola, or cambazola and apples. Whatever you can dream up, give it a whirl, but the one thing you should accept no substitutions for is the one and only original Parma ham. Take it from Cato, and me.

Follow Parma Ham on Twitter for a chance to win $50 worth of the world's most famous ham. Click on the banner below to participate. This post is a collaboration between the blogger and Parma Ham. 

Khandvi, Gujarati Street Food Made Fast and Easy!

   It's been about a week since I've had the use of my stove, and with all that's been going on around here, I've been in desperate need of some kitchen therapy. When I was just about to have a total melt down the thought struck me, what about the microwave? That in itself is probably a measure of desperation since I mainly use my microwave to melt things, heat things quickly and warm buckwheat pillows. When I start turning to it for any sort of "serious" cooking I am indeed in trouble. However, there are some dishes that are just made for the microwave and Khandvi the popular Indian street food is one of them.

   When we were in Artesia last month we ate (among a whole bunch of places) at the Surati Farsan Mart and amazing place that specialized in all sorts of tasty savories and sweets, among them khandvi. If you've never had them, Khandvi is a noodle made of besan (chickpea, aka garbanzo bean flour) curds or buttermilk and spices. Quickly cooked and set, the batter is cut into strips, rolled up and sprinkled with fresh coconut, cilantro, mustard seeds and chilies. It's the perfect finger food, and did I mention it's gluten free? Once we got back from LA I couldn't wait to give homemade khandvi a try. The day my stove broke seemed to present the perfect opportunity.

   This popular Gujarati street food is very very easy to prepare and about the only tricky part is shaping the khandvi. It may take a couple of practice batches but once you get the feel for it, it's a snap. Trust me. It took me two tries to get the khandvi-making knack, but the third time was the charm and now I'm a khandvi rolling machine. All you need is a bag of garbanzo flour, and a tub of yogurt. And some mustard seeds. And some cilantro.



And some practice.

Khandvi

Here's What You Need:

1 cup of besan flour (garbanzo bean flour aka chickpea flour)
1 cup of plain yogurt
1 cup of water
1/8 tsp of turmeric
salt to taste
a pinch of hing (Asafoetida)
1 Tbs vegetable oil ( I use coconut oil)
1 tsp of mustard seed
2 Tbs of chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbs of grated fresh or frozen unsweetened coconut
1 serrano chili split in half
tin foil.

Here's What To Do:

In a large microwave-safe bowl mix together the besan flour, the asafoetida, and the turmeric.

Add in salt to taste. I usually add in about 1 tsp. When the batter is mixed check it and see if you need more.

Stir in 1 cup of yogurt.

Mix everything together well. The one thing you want to avoid in making this batter is lumps. Try to get it as smooth as possible.

When the yogurt is thoroughly incorporated, add in 1 cup of water.

Blend everything together well.

When the batter is nice and smooth, pop it into your microwave for 1 and 1/2 minutes.

When it's done, take it out and mix it together well, smoothing out any lumpy parts.

Make sure you scrape the sides of the bowl. The batter is cooking and you want it to be smooth so that it can cook evenly. Raw garbanzo flour can have a bitter aftertaste so it's important that it 's cooked through.
While the batter is cooking in the microwave, spread a couple of long pieces of tin foil out on a counter or work surface. Set them aside.
After you've smoothed the batter again, put it back into the microwave for another 1 and 1/2 minutes.
Take it out again and give it another smoothing beating. You can use a mixer if you need to.

Pop it back in the microwave for another 1 and 1/2 minutes.
When you take it out for the final time, whip it again. It'll be thick but try to get it as smooth as you can.

Now, this is the only tricky part where it's important to work fast, as the batter will start to firm up and set.
With a spoon, drop a  strip of batter along the edge of one of the sheets of tin foil.

Take a flat edged spatula and spread the strip of batter down the foil, almost as though you were plastering a wall.

Drop another strip next to the one you just spread, and then spread that one too.

Keep doing this until the foil is covered with a thin smear of the batter.
Let the batter set for 5 minutes.

The traditional way of doing this is to grease the back of a thali (large steel serving plate) and spread the batter on that, but since you may not have those around, I used foil which also makes it easier to clean up afterwards.
Once your batter has dried, take a knife and trim off the ragged tops and sides.

This will make them even and easier to cut and roll.
Cut long strips down the length of the batter on the foil.

With the tip of your knife lift up the top edge of the strip and start rolling, gently.

Keep rolling...

...until you have a nice khandvi.

When you feel it's the right bite size, cut it and place it on a serving plate.

Keep doing this until all the batter has been cut and rolled.
I kept having this song running through my head while doing this.
"Rolling, rolling, rolling, keep that batter rolling, on your foil keep rolling, Khandvi !"
Sort of like Rawhide...??? Anyone? Well, it kept me in the zone, what can I say.



When all the khandvi have been rolled, arrange them nicely on a serving plate.
Sprinkle them with the grated coconut.

And then add on the chopped fresh cilantro.

Now for the chaunk, or tempering.

In a small skillet heat 1 Tbs of vegetable or coconut oil.

When the oil is hot, toss in 1 tsp of brown mustard seeds.

Add in the serrano chili split down the middle.

When the mustard seeds start to pop, pour everything over the khandvi on the platter.

And serve it up.

   There they are, a delicious finger food, perfect as a party appetizer. A little bit of practice and you'll be rolling these little buggers easily and in no time. You'll love them and your gluten free friends will love you for it.

    In closing, I just want to mention the passing of one of the great Indian chefs and food writers, Tarla Dalal. I have always loved her recipes, and though she is gone, all that she contributed, bringing Indian cuisine to people like me will be ever appreciated.

      Now that my stove is back in action I'll be cooking up some more Indian street foods for holiday party giving, and a special return to my Italian roots. Follow along on Twitter kathygori