The secret of great meals - Lamb Chops with Polenta and Braised Swiss Chard

Spring has arrived! It is such a glorious feeling! Finally, it is warm enough to stroll through farmers' market engaging in meaningful conversations and finding out the back stories of the produce on sale! I have been many such trips and coming back with simple, fresh and ridiculously tasty loot! I will put up a post this weekend with recipes for fresh vegetarian meals.

Spring is also the season for ewe lambs. Ok, I know it doesn't sound nice talking about eating a four month old animal but the reality is that it is the tenderest meat you will ever bite into this year. The beauty of any dish is in the ingredients. Spring lambs are so succulent and flavorful that you don't need much cooking to enjoy them. A quick saute and it will be perhaps one of the best dishes you may have had in and out of a restaurant!

I share with you today a very simple and flavorful dish of lamb chops served on a bed of polenta and braised swiss chard. I actually served this dish with white wine rather than a full bodied red typically paired with red meat. Simply because, the meat itself is delicate and does not need a robust wine to accompany. It is beautifully paired by a crisp, light white like a Chablis.

Lamb Chops with Polenta and Braised Swiss Chard

Start with the polenta, them the chard and finally the chops. Cook the chops last, just before serving!

For the Lamb Chops:

6 baby lamb rib chops

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 T rosemary, minced

1/2 tsp maldon salt or fleur de sel (Use the finest salt you have and use it sparingly. It only takes a little of the good stuff to bring flavor to the meat)

1/2- to 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper based on your taste

1 T good, fruity olive oil

Mix the marinade ingredients and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Meanwhile wash and pat dry the chops. Rub the marinade on both sides of the chops and let rest for 30 minutes up to over night.

When ready to cook, heat a heavy bottomed pan with a light drizzle of olive oil over medium-high flame. I always use cast iron or steel and never non-stick; the sear isn't good and it tastes funny! Arrange the chops in one layer and let them cook undisturbed for two minutes. Gently lift the first chop you placed in the pan to check the sear. If it is good enough turn all the chops over. If not, leave them cook on the side for another minute. Cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes depending on the thickness of the chop for a medium-rare-ish finish.

Cook the polenta according to instructions using milk as the liquid.

For the Braised Swiss Chard:

1 bunch swiss chard, washed, drained and chopped

1/2 cup homemade tomato sauce

2 cloves garlic, smashed

olive oil for the pan

Heat the oil and saute the garlic until the oil is perfumed. Add the sauce and bring to a gentle boil. Add the chard, cover the pan and cook until the leaves are just wilted. Remove from heat.

To serve:

Place some polenta on the plate/bowl. Ladle over it the braised greens and top with the seared chops. Sprinkle fresh grated parmesan if desired!

Comfort wrap... Dal, Rice and Pickle

Once in a while, I have the urge to drastically de-clutter, clean, weed ... simplify, really!

On days like these I crave the simplest of foods. No matter how far one has traveled or how much you have adopted another place as home, the simplest food is never a new love. It is always the one that has been in your memories since your first every memory. Because the innocence of the yearning and the complete satiation of it can only come from that deep level inside you.

Hmm.. Just struck me.. Does this mean that one can never entirely shake off what is inherently their 'root' as hard as one may try? ... I wonder! - point for

afternoon tea ponderings

..

Anyway, for me, the simplest food I can recall taking happy comfort in my mom's super simple dish of boiled, salted lentils, fluffy while rice and dollops of ghee with a side of homemade pickle. That was

Nirvana

! This is essentially the simplest form of

Dal-Chawal

.

Now, ofcourse the whole definition of Dal is a variable! Depending on the region in India, culture, religion, dietary restrictions etc. the dal one grows up with can be very different from your classmate's at school! Nevertheless, to each it is always that enveloping cocoon of comfort that one seeks in the most turbulent of times to the most ecstatic. Eating dal can be a truly transcendental and perhaps one of the most leveling food experiences!

That is to say, this is really at the most basic level, peasant food - good, hearty, healthy and life-giving. Dal-Chawal is staple food across the country, never mind the actual recipe. A peasant lunch would be a simple dal, rice, a piece of raw onion or pickle and some tea, perhaps. As your wallet allows it other ingredients are added and the final indulgence of ghee rounds it off as the last defense into luxury.

Now, while I am at it, I have to pause and wonder at how many 'peasant meals' are indeed the most comforting ones across time and strata even in the most elegant cuisines.... pizza, pot-au-feu so on....

---

Homemade Simple Dal

1 cup split toor dal (yellow pigeon peas), soaked overnight or atleast 3 hours in hot water

3 cloves of garlic, smashed

2-1/2 cups water

2 tsp of cumin seeds

ghee, brown butter (without milk solids), butter or just good, mild olive oil - as needed

salt as needed

Heat the fat in a heavy bottom pan or pressure cooker on medium heat. Toast the cumin seeds and garlic in the oil for a couple of minutes until you can smell the cumin and garlic. Drain the lentils and add to the vessel with the water. Season with a teaspoon of salt. If you are using a pressure cooker, close the lid and let it cook for 15 minutes at maxmimum pressure or 4 whistles, depending on the style. If you are boiling in a pot, boil until the lentils are really tender, about 35 minutes. You may need a bit more water as you go.

When the lentils are fully cooked and really soft, whisk them around using a hand whisk to almost puree consistency. You can surely process it but there usually is no need to use a blender. Swirl more butter or ghee into the dal and it's ready to serve with steaming hot rice and crackers or pickle. Another great accompaniment for this is potato chips or simply home fried potatoes!

Gluten Free Lentil Pancakes

Childhood

... There is so much to be said about it.. then, now and perhaps, always. Conscious and sub-conscious memories from that time affect and influence our reactions and perceptions all through life so much, that it is almost silly to not consider the importance of that age back then. :)

Impressionable is what they usually say. What isn't usually apparent is the depth of it. The idea of so many real feelings and emotions that we come to express (or not!) as adults are grounded in what we felt and perceived and taught ourselves at the tender ages as a child and young adult.

Happy memories can be made anytime but those that were made then will carry through the rest of our lives. The converse holds true too, unfortunately.

There is a reason I love food and am passionate about it now. My

happy memories from my childhood

are all associated with

food and the comfort

it gave me amidst the whirlwind whatever else was happening around me or missing in my life.

There was a

consistency in the joy

it triggered in me to eat certain foods. Simple as they were, that is all I sought because that is all I could depend on to always be true. Even today, in moments when I need

solace

, I turn to my kitchen and take comfort in my joy of being there and forgetting all else. It gives me strength and stability in its unwavering loyalty. For that,

I thank the gift!

These lentil pancakes,

adai

as they are called in my native language, are one of my favorite simple joys. My face lit up whenever I saw the beans soaking for the batter in my mom's kitchen in anticipation of an escape! I loved to eat them as is and rarely asked for a fancier accompaniment than homemade pickle or yogurt. I was happy and lost in each bite and transported to a different happy world through my favorite authors of the day. Even today, they evoke the same far away happy feelings.

Gluten Free Lentil Pancakes (Adai)

1/2 cup split yellow lentils

1/2 cup whole green mung bean

2 tsp salt

1 tsp fenugreek seeds (optional)

2 whole dry, red chillies ( or green ones if you prefer)

water as needed

melted butter, ghee or olive oil to fry

Soak all the ingredients in enough hot water to fully submerge them, for atleast 4 hours or overnight. Drain the liquid and process the mixture to as smooth a puree as possible adding as little water as needed to get a pancake batter consistency. Adjust salt to taste.

Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan and pour a ladleful of batter in the center. Using the back of the ladle gently and quickly spread the batter to 1/4 inch thick circle. Moisten the circumference and the center with liquid fat (ghee preferred). As the edges crisp and brown and lift off the pan slightly, gently slide a spatula under the pancakes to release from the pan. If you find that the batter is sticking to the pan, tease it out with some oil and gentle pressure from the spatula.

Turn the pancake over and cook for another half minute till cooked. You don't have to fully cook these pancakes. I prefer them crisp on the outside and soft and mostly raw on the inside. They is something so comforting about the gooeyness of the center!

Serve immediately with any accompaniment. This is a great replacement for bread with stews. The pancake soaks up the flavors and adds a lot of heartiness to the meal. I have photographed them here with Chana Masala.

Winter Soup: Roast Parsley Root and Lady Apples

There is a thing to be said about long weekends. It really can go either way and it ends up being a lot of

that

way!

Fortunately for me, a friend is visiting from the other coast and it went the

right

way. We caught up on the years in between, being across land and seas and a lot of missed laughs despite the frigidity that the city was wrapped in.

We rediscovered Chelsea Market and the incredible pastas at

Giovanni Ranna restaurant

(take-away is definitely a better option than sit-down!). We supped on warming soups and warm brownies while we watched back episodes of

Mad Men

(we are collectively mad about the show!). We discovered hidden chocolate shops and

overpriced designer labels

in the Village. We deprived ourselves of sleep in favor of conversation, tea and more brownies.

So, anyway, like I said, it went the way it should! :-)

And, I leave you with an easy and tasty winter recipe for the short week -

Roast Parsley Root and Lady Apple Soup

.

Roast Parsley Root and Lady Apple Soup

1 cup peeled and chopped parsley root

1 cup cored and quartered lady apples

2 shallots, diced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp chili flakes

3-4 sprigs of thyme

pinch of Maldon sea salt

pinch of pepper

2 cups water or homemade vegetable stock

Olive oil as needed

Toss the parsley root and lady apples in oil, salt and chili flakes. Pour into a roasting pan. Tuck in the sprigs of thyme between the chunks. Cover the pan with foil and roast in a pre-heated oven at 400F for about 15 minutes till everything is soft but not mushy.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and toss the garlic in it for a couple of minutes till its fragrance is released. Saute the the shallots until soft. Add in the roasted veggies along with the release fluid. Add water/stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat to let the soup simmer for 10 minutes.

Process the soup into a smooth puree. Bring the soup back to a boil and adjust the liquid content for needed consistency. Serve the soup with a dash of good olive oil and a sprinkling of chili flakes for just a touch of heat.

Comfort..

Brief

poetic escapades

aside, back to regular programming...!

This is a stew that comforts in the cold of Winter :)

Warm as a soft cashmere blanket on a cold, frosty day..

Gentle heat as welcome as from the burning wood at the fireplace..

Hearty as the expanse of the country side...

Complete with jalapeno scones, in case you need more of a palate awakening!

---

Moroccan Vegetable Stew

In season root vegetables, diced

half a head of cauliflower

any other winter vegetable

1 onion, diced fine

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

1/2 can of whole san marzano tomatoes

1/2 inch chunk of ginger grated

1 T sumac

1 T Ras el Hanout

2-1/2 or more cups of water

1/2 cup of cream

chives for garnish

salt, pepper and oil as needed

In a heavy bottomed pan, saute the onions, garlic and ginger until softened. Add the root vegetables and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the spice, tomatoes and other vegetables and one cup of water and bring to a boil. Add everything else and simmer for about 15 minutes, till the vegetables are soft. Adjust water content to desired soupy-ness and serve with garnish.