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Lahore: City of Food and Romance

Season Nine, Summer 2009

Lahore: City of Food and Romance

This week we are inspired by the cuisine of Lahore, Pakistan. The city has been a meeting point for Central Asian, Persian, Afghan and Hindu cultures for centuries, all of them influencing the flavors and food stalls one finds in the main markets of this metropolis. Recent news only breaks the bad news of bombings and terrorism that are destabilizing Lahore, the capital of the Punjab province. We wanted to shed light on the history of this city that once housed intellectuals, poets, historians, and artists, who were all attracted to the plush gardens and many schools that the city harbors.

Cooking Show Photo

The dough of these spicy lentil samosas from Wild Hive Farm is the best ever. They grow and mill their own wheat there, which shows in the quality of their prepared foods. They are at the USQ Greenmarket on Fridays and Saturdays.

October 4, 2009   |   0 comments
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Cooking Show Video

Making almond milk at home is healthy and easy. We love to use it in our creamy drinks for a lighter and tastier version than whole milk. It is also great for mixing with chia seeds for a healthy breakfast. There are millions of ways to drink it, so why not learn how to make the basic formula?

Get recipe: Fresh Almond Milk
September 28, 2009   |   0 comments
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Recipe

This vegetarian nacho dish is delicious because of all of the flavors and colors present. We brush our bread with coconut oil and dust it with curry powder, but you can also just use butter, ghee, or olive oil.

2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon grated onion
2 tandoori naan
¼ cup grated mozzarella or another meltable mild cheese
2 tablespooons tamarind
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
½ cup plain yogurt (can be non-fat or whole)
1/3 cup chickpeas (sprouted or canned)
1 teaspoon chopped jalapeño
1 medium tomato, cored and diced small
¼ cup grated carrot
Fresh cilantro sprigs

Melt the coconut oil in a small skillet. Add the curry powder and grated onion and cook on low for a few minutes until fragrant.
Brush the breads with the melted coconut oil mixture and then slice into wedges. Bake in a 300 F oven for 20 minutes, or until crisp.
Arrange the breads on an oven-proof serving dish and top with the grated cheese. Pop back into the oven to melt.
Mix together the tamarind with a few drops of water and the agave nectar, so that it is a bit looser than a paste, but still quite thick.
Top the Naanchos with the yogurt and drizzle over the tamarind.
Garnish with the chickpeas, jalapeño, tomato, carrot, and cilantro.
Serves 2 as a main dish and 4 as an appetizer.

This dish is purely fun. We use store-bought naan bread to make a South Asian version of nachos. The toasted naan is topped with melted cheese, yogurt, sprouted chickpeas, grated carrot, tomato, tamarind, and cilantro. It is a party in your mouth and very easy to prepare for a large group of people.
September 28, 2009   |   0 comments
Tags: Appetizers, Beans & Legumes, Fusion, South Asia, Vegetarian
Cooking Show Video

This is a refreshing drink made from almond milk and lavender. The Punjab region is home to many dairy-based drink recipes, which include thandais and lassis. Traditional thandai recipes call for rose petals, cardamom, saffron, and poppy seeds. We adapted the recipe because we loved the idea of blending together almonds, tarragon, and lavender for a soothing drink. Feel free to make up your own recipes, using different herbs and spices of the season.

September 28, 2009   |   1 comments
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