I'm Asian (Chinese). I cook a lot of Chinese and South East Asian, where I grew up. Sometimes, I think my friends think it rather odd when this Asian girl presents them with things like chili, or Yorkshire pudding, or enchiladas. But the variety of cuisines that I serve my family are always anchored in my personal experience - the places I've lived, the people I've met, and what I love to eat. Ultimately, I cook for my family. That is the soul of my cooking.
The Boy absolutely loves Tex-Mex and Mex-Mex. It's his go-to comfort food (in addition to pizza). So I've learned to make some of his mom's recipes as well as a few of my own. Practice makes perfect - I think I've hit the sweet spot with enchiladas verde finally. Usually, it's "I think I like mom's better". Tonight, he was like "mm... mm..." (that was all he said throughout the entire meal). That's how I know.
Enchiladas Verde
A - Tomatillo sauce
1.5 lbs tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed off
3 cloves garlic, skins intact
2-4 jalapenos (depending on how much heat you like)
1 tsp salt
B - Enchilada filling
2 Anaheim chiles
2 blocks Monterey Jack, grated
1 onion, finely chopped
C - Tortilla
8-12 corn tortillas
Peanut or grapeseed oil
D - Garnishing
Sour cream, watered down
Cilantro, chopped
*****
A - Cut the tomatillos in half. On a baking tray lined with aluminium foil, place the tomatillos (cut side down), garlic cloves and jalapenos. Slide under the broiler until the tomatillos have charred slightly. Leave out until they are cool the the touch. Remove the garlic skins. De-seed the jalapenos. Put everything in the blender with 1 tsp of salt and pulse until well-pureed.
B - While the tomatillos are roasting, put the Anaheim chiles directly over the flame on your stove (if not using a gas stove, roast under the broiler). Roast and turn until the chiles are blackened all over. Put them in a paper bag, seal and leave for 5 minutes or so. Take them out and, using the back of your knife, scrape off the blackened skin. De-seed and cut into long strips.
C - Fry the tortillas. In a skillet, heat a few tablespoons of oil (I've experimented with different flavors of oil and like peanut oil best). Slide a tortilla into the hot oil - it should sizzle and pockets of air bubbles should start forming on the tortilla surface. Turn over with a flat spatula and fry the other side. I like to fry the tortillas until they are brown and toasty at the edges. Take out and rest on a paper towel. Do the same with the rest of the tortillas, stacking them up in between layers of paper towels.
(A healthy alternative: Wrap the tortillas - 5 in a batch - in a paper towel and nuke them in the microwave, 20 seconds per batch.)
D - Assembly. Pre-heat the oven at 350F. In a rectangular casserole dish, spread a thin layer of the tomatilla sauce. To make the enchiladas, take one tortilla and, in the center, place a heap of cheese, a little of the chopped onions, and 1-2 strips of the Anaheim chiles. Roll the tortilla up and place in the casserole dish, seam side down. Repeat with the other tortillas, arranging the rolled enchiladas neatly next to each other in the casserole dish. I like to make fat enchiladas with lots of cheese in each enchilada, because I think the amount of cheese offsets the tartness of the tomatilla sauce.
When all the enchiladas have been rolled and arranged in the casserole dish, top them with the rest of the tomatilla sauce. Sprinkle over with more grated Monterey Jack (to taste; it does not have to cover the sauce). Bake for 15 minutes.
Serve with sour cream and cilantro. We like frijoles as an accompaniment too.
Previously at artisanedibles dot blogspot dot com.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Masala Chai
It's almost Christmas. In these wintery days, a cup of spicy Masala Chai really amps up the season feeling - particularly if you are nursing a cold, like me. In our family, we like making our own Chai after meals, although we are not averse to picking up a "Chai Tea Latte" at the Starbucks drive-thru either!
Like pot roast, your favorite Chai is the one you are familiar with. There is no set recipe for Masala Chai. Some people like to add peppercorns. Some don't. Some like fresh ginger. Some don't. I use both of these occasionally, depending on whether I have peppercorns and fresh ginger on hand and how industrious I feel. I've also seen recipes that include star anise, allspice, rosebuds etc. Different regions of India also emphasize different spices. Most people agree that the strong note in Chai is cardamom, which I love. My friend, Maala, her family likes adding a lot of fennel to aid digestion after a meal - so I've adopted that in my basic recipe.
Tea. Any strong black tea works. I use Assam.
As for milk, most people use whole milk for its richness. For healthful reasons, I add 2% milk, which takes away from the fullness of my Chai but it is what I prefer. I know my mom likes using condensed milk as both a milk and sweetener, as many Singaporeans do. Again, it's up to you to find your version.
Sugar. A decent amount of sugar is important to bring out the flavor of the spices. For someone who drinks her coffee black with no milk or sugar and avoids sodas, this is a lot of sugar for me. There is a reason why I've added this recipe under "Sweets". But it's no more sugar than what you would find in a dessert. Sugar is an integral part of Chai. So don't flinch!
Ratios. When I was in working in South India, the family that I lived with did a ratio of 2 parts milk to one part water. So that's what I do too.
As for the brewing process, again, there are many variations. You can boil the whole lot together all at once. I prefer adding the milk at the end, just because that's how I make English tea as well. The only difference between brewing Chai and other teas is that, in making Chai, the tea leaves are not steeped in hot water; instead, the water is kept on a constant simmer.
I would encourage you to experiment and find your favorite Masala Chai recipe. But to start you off, I'm going to share my basic go-to recipe. I may add other spices at times, but these are the ones I always use.*
Here's wishing you a happy Chai adventure!
Masala Chai
15 cardamom seeds
5 cloves
1 cinnamon stick (about 1.5-2 inches)
1 tbsp fennel seeds
2 tsp Assam tea leaves
1 cup water
2 cups milk
3 lumps of brown sugar (or white if you prefer) to 1 cup of liquid
*****
Grind the spices together. In a saucepan, add the water and all the spices, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tea leaves and simmer for a further 2 minutes (you don't want to simmer for too long because the tea leaves will release their tannins and give off a bitter taste).
Add milk and bring to a boil again as quickly as possible. Turn off heat. Add sugar and stir.
To serve, use a small scoop and a small sieve to strain the tea into individual cups. If serving a large group, strain into a big teapot before serving.
Like pot roast, your favorite Chai is the one you are familiar with. There is no set recipe for Masala Chai. Some people like to add peppercorns. Some don't. Some like fresh ginger. Some don't. I use both of these occasionally, depending on whether I have peppercorns and fresh ginger on hand and how industrious I feel. I've also seen recipes that include star anise, allspice, rosebuds etc. Different regions of India also emphasize different spices. Most people agree that the strong note in Chai is cardamom, which I love. My friend, Maala, her family likes adding a lot of fennel to aid digestion after a meal - so I've adopted that in my basic recipe.
Tea. Any strong black tea works. I use Assam.
As for milk, most people use whole milk for its richness. For healthful reasons, I add 2% milk, which takes away from the fullness of my Chai but it is what I prefer. I know my mom likes using condensed milk as both a milk and sweetener, as many Singaporeans do. Again, it's up to you to find your version.
Sugar. A decent amount of sugar is important to bring out the flavor of the spices. For someone who drinks her coffee black with no milk or sugar and avoids sodas, this is a lot of sugar for me. There is a reason why I've added this recipe under "Sweets". But it's no more sugar than what you would find in a dessert. Sugar is an integral part of Chai. So don't flinch!
Ratios. When I was in working in South India, the family that I lived with did a ratio of 2 parts milk to one part water. So that's what I do too.
As for the brewing process, again, there are many variations. You can boil the whole lot together all at once. I prefer adding the milk at the end, just because that's how I make English tea as well. The only difference between brewing Chai and other teas is that, in making Chai, the tea leaves are not steeped in hot water; instead, the water is kept on a constant simmer.
I would encourage you to experiment and find your favorite Masala Chai recipe. But to start you off, I'm going to share my basic go-to recipe. I may add other spices at times, but these are the ones I always use.*
Here's wishing you a happy Chai adventure!
Masala Chai
15 cardamom seeds
5 cloves
1 cinnamon stick (about 1.5-2 inches)
1 tbsp fennel seeds
2 tsp Assam tea leaves
1 cup water
2 cups milk
3 lumps of brown sugar (or white if you prefer) to 1 cup of liquid
*****
Grind the spices together. In a saucepan, add the water and all the spices, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tea leaves and simmer for a further 2 minutes (you don't want to simmer for too long because the tea leaves will release their tannins and give off a bitter taste).
Add milk and bring to a boil again as quickly as possible. Turn off heat. Add sugar and stir.
To serve, use a small scoop and a small sieve to strain the tea into individual cups. If serving a large group, strain into a big teapot before serving.
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