Domestic Tranquility

[bethlakshmi]

I am not domestic, nor am I tranquil. I should remember that....

Cooking, not surprisingly, took a while. That which is quick to cook is not interesting, that which is interesting (both in terms of eating and cooking) take a while and lots of ingredients. Shopping took 1/2 an hour, cooking took *2* hours. But, in the end, I had some pretty yummy stir-fried beef (was supposed to be lamb) with peppers and baby onions. That sounds Chinese, but believe me, the flavor was Indian.


Or... at least, what I need to learn and apply for next time.

- gram flour - is made from ground chickpeas. It has a pale yellow colour and is powdery with an earthy flavour. Gram flour contains no gluten.

Must go to Indian store to get some, I don't think any "white people flour" will substitute.
Must also get a bunch more chilli powder, onion seeds, pulped garlic, pulped ginger, lemon juice, and a greater quantity of ground cumin - little 50 cent packs don't cut it. Most of these are Indian cooking staples, and I have run out, or nearly out of many of them, as they are sold in American stores as tiny little packets, not great heaping bags.

- beaten yogurt - how does one beat yogurt? Blender? Maybe I need to get an egg beater... Maybe I have an egg beater and just need to find it... I really hope beating yogurt properly adds volume or this yogurt soup has some serious volume issues.

Note to self - I like columbo lite plain yogurt better than stony ridge farms. So help me. I know it's processed like mad, but it's less tart.

- mustard seeds are an acceptable substitute for onion seeds. Probably changed the flavor of the beef & peppers, but not in a bad way.

- can't find lamb for love nor money. I assume, given the prevalence of lamb dishes, they mean mutton, not lamb. But it just isn't a big thing there - must find source of lamb, it just feels wrong to do this with beef.

- do they make "small peppers" in America. I think we must just have great, big mutant peppers here... the volume of the smallest peppers I could find in the store was way more than the picture showed, and I held some out!



Also worked more on cards, flushed toilet, went to bed. Got up this morning, flushed toilet, went to work. What a lovely sound! flush!!!

Comments

[rufinia.livejournal.com]

Lamb: maybe in Brookline? Lamb is used in Jewish cooking a lot, so....

::shrugs::

[jackoutofthebox.livejournal.com]

- do they make "small peppers" in America. I think we must just have great, big mutant peppers here... the volume of the smallest peppers I could find in the store was way more than the picture showed, and I held some out!


***THE QUESTION IS, IS IT REALLY A BELL PEPPER OR IS IT ANOTHER KIND OF LONG PEPPER/ THERE ARE CERTAIN MILDLY SPICY PEPPERS THAT LOOK LIKE THE GREEN BELLPEPPERS BUT ARE SMALLER. I LIKE TO STUFF THOSE WITH GOAT CHEESE AND ROAST THEM IN THE OVEN, THEY MAKE A GREAT APPETIZER.

[lady-cassia.livejournal.com]

Go to Penzeys.com - they sell spices in bulk, including cumin. And peppers, both dehydrated and ground, of several different types.

[lakshmi-amman.livejournal.com]

They usually call spicy pepper chillies - but that's usually the finger-size or smaller peppers. The recipe says "small peppers" but does not qualify on flavor or species. Given the terminology in the rest of the book, I suspect the writer is either British or Indian, and writing for a Euroepean audience, as they use things like kilo-calories, and a variety of quantity notations (grams and pounds, liters and quarts, etc).

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

Too bad it's on the wrong side of the city for you - I like China Merchandise, on Rt. 3A in Burlington, for ethnic groceries, including cumin seeds in the 8-oz bag, basmati in multi-kilo sacks, and suchlike. And Boston is getting its own Penzey's soon, but that's also far from you, Arlington.

[new-man.livejournal.com]

Lamb Shaw's sells lamb. Really. If they don't, try the Super Stop & Shop near me.

Small Peppers Yes, there are a tremendous variety of peppers of various shapes, sizes, and spiciness. Try a cherry pepper or a Cubanelle. Both are smaller than a Bell pepper and neither is very spicy.

Beaten yogurt It really is just beaten -- with a mixer or a whisk. A number of Albanian/Bulgarian recipes use it as an ingredient.

[lakshmi-amman.livejournal.com]

Will try Super Duper Stop -n- Shop next time - their meats are more varied than Shaws. I have seen lamb in Shaws... last night they had a section dedicated to lamb, but no lamb, just "wierd beef" - like liver, and tongue and such.

Similarly scanty on the peppers - big bell peppers or little spicy peppers. I wonder if the Shaws is getting slumified... They seem to be waning.

Note to self: Give up on Shaws, even if it is closer. Go to spiffiriffic S & S.

I whisked and whisked... I started with a cup and a half, and ended with ... a cup and a half. Since the next step is add spices, and then heat in saucepan for 10 minutes, I suspect that 1.5 cups was not supposed to be the ending volume. Will have to find beater - I suck at whipping egg whites, too. Perhaps I have faulty whisk technique...

[oakleaf-mirror.livejournal.com]

gram flour - is made from ground chickpeas[...]Must go to Indian store to get some

Or get a grain mill. I make chickpea flour from dried chickpeas in mine. Added to boiling water in the right quantities, makes a chickpea paste that can be used to make hummas quickly.

[mermaidlady]

You could go to Shalimar on Monday before Council. I wish I still had the option of just running over there to pick something up for you.

[lakshmi-amman.livejournal.com]

Right... good plan! Must remember on Monday!