It's a beautiful day - warm, sunny, cloudless sky, and a hint of a breeze. A perfect spring day in mid February to reassure us in Southern Cal that winter is on its way out. Yesterday, Valentine's Day, Daryl, his sister Glynis visiting from England, and I drove down to Los Angeles. Daryl and I have decided that the idea of "someone" telling us that we should be romantic on February 14 is ludicrous. So we spent the day enjoying Venice Beach and Santa Monica instead. Most of LA was out and about and there was a very summerlike atmosphere around. The highlight of the day was going to India Sweets and Spices to stock up on Indian groceries.
So, here's the funny thing. I've always been an adventurous cook, but steered away from Indian cuisine. Even though I love Indian food and was raised on it, I favored an Italian kitchen. Then something changed a few years ago. I met my wonderful, wonderful friend Premi. She is passionate about cooking and actually ran a restaurant for a few years. She, like me, is Asian Indian and grew up in South Africa, where Indians developed their own special cuisine from local ingredients. Premi has inspired me to reach out to my Indian roots and now most of the food I make is stuff I've learned from her.
I'm going to share in this blog one of my favorite recipes from her. It's for a rich, flavorful bread called Dokla which originated in the Indian state of Gujerath.
You'll need the following ingredients:
1 cup semolina, 1 cup plain yogurt, a bunch of chopped cilantro, a green serrano chilli, chopped, 2 crushed garlic cloves, half an onion, half cup frozen sweet corn, one teaspoon baking powder, half a teaspoon each of tumeric, cumin, coriander, and salt. All of these should be mixed together.
Spread mixture in a pan and bake in a preheated oven - 350 degrees F - for half an hour.
Sautee a teaspoon of black mustard seeds and cumin seeds in grapeseed oil and spread over the bread after it is baked. This bread can be served with a mint sauce.
A couple days ago - Saturday - we went to the beach to watch the sunset. Premi, Sri, Daryl, Glynis, and I carried a picnic and crisp sparkling wine out to the Ellwood Bluffs. Oh, PK, Sri's dog, came along too! We found a splendid spot right at the edge of a cliff to lay out our picnic and watch the sun sinking into the water. The view in front of us - an endless stretch of rolling waves, golden sand, an orange horizon, an elegant leggy egret at the water's edge, and the sun, a glowing ball hovering over the water, then beginning its disappearance. Wow, it was quite special.
Premi made methi roti (fenugreek leaves stuffed into flat bread and cooked on a griddle) and a mint dip for our picnic. It was really special and seemed a perfect match for our wine. Glynis tried to capture the moment by clicking her camera over and over again. But, I don't think photos could do justice to how special it was.
3 comments:
I sent my catering sister, Colleen, the link to your blog. I like the idea of my very Irish sister trying some Indian recipes by way of South Africa/Santa Barbara.
Hey, Ermila- your idea of recipes is fabulous. I must try the semolina one. Your travels with Daryl's sis, Glynnis gives me a glimpse of what I might see/ get up to in May. I can see we are going ot have a fun time visiting the markets and cooking!
love your recipes...do you have one for puri patha (you know, the rolled up leaves - whatever they are - cooked and then sliced and eaten with the patha bread (+ a dash of lemon juice)?
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