Indian
Italian Fusion
by Marilyn Michael
by Marilyn Michael
We all need an activity that takes our brains away from the
minutia of everyday life; that stimulates the creative side of our brains and
that relaxes us. It was a Saturday with a lot to do, but I realized the need to fuel my soul. For me, that now means cooking something I love (often Indian
cuisine) and maybe chatting about cooking. I set about concocting a favorite
dish that I could section up and have for lunch or dinner during the busy week
giving me a bit of time to curl up with an engaging detective novel.
To begin, I made a batch of polenta (you can simplify by
using layers made of slices of pre-made polenta roles but my recipe is 6 cups of boiling water, 1 2/3 cup polenta, and
2 teaspoons salt stirred almost continuously with a whisk boiling on medium for
around 15 minutes until thick then made rich with 2 tablespoons of butter.) I
let the polenta cool down just a bit at room temperature then poured it in bright
yellow layers into a 2-quart casserole, each layer about one-half inch and
topped with plastic wrap, separating them and keeping them smooth, and popped
them in the refrigerator. (After cooling my stack of polenta layers, I cut up some
into serving portions and froze. Later I can top some with butter for breakfast
or with a red sauce for dinner. I retained three layers, though, for making my
Indian-Italian Fusion casserole which I offer below.
The Pleasure of Indian Cuisine
I love Indian cuisine and thank myself for volunteering at
my Dad’s senior center where I met a very special woman, Mina, from Goa, India.
She became my mentor teaching me, hands-on, how to make delicious Indian dishes.
They were something so different from the American dishes I’d grown up with. I once
wrote in a small cookbook I’d created to share with friends, “I had never thought of my American food
experience as a cuisine. Mina, though, would smile because these delectable
pulaos, curries and dahls were the pot roasts and tuna casseroles of her world.”
Simple and Fun
I’ve taken it upon myself to get creative with Indian dishes (thus my Indian-Italian Fusion). My favorite haunts for the required spices are a natural food coop that sells spices in bulk or Whole Foods. They
provide everything I need. Exploring an Indian food shop is fun but not
necessary for the ingredients in the dishes I create (and spices are available
online). I also enjoy simplifying them; making them easier for my friends and
acquaintances for whom I created little cookbooks of favorite recipes. It’s fun
sharing the dishes, as well. I don’t entertain much, but I haunt Goodwill for
interesting dishes to use for gifting. When
a thank you or congratulations or a remembrance is due, I love arriving with
exotically aromatic food in an attractive serving dish gifting both. My Indian
dishes are popular at potlucks and “bring an hors d oeuvre” gatherings.
Indian Italian Fusion
Ah, but I go on and probably will in future submissions.
Let’s get to my Indian Italian Fusion Casserole. You’ll need three polenta
layers (created in the casserole dish you’ll use for making the casserole, mine
is 2 quarts and round.). If you don’t want to make polenta (but it’s soooo
easy) you can buy one of those little rolls and place slices down as the
layers. You’ll also need about 3 cups grated cheddar cheese to layer between
the Vegetable Dahl and the polenta and to top the casserole.
The vegetable portion is a delicious East Indian-inspired vegetable stew called a dahl. (The term dahl refers to a dish
that includes dried peas, beans or lentils.) I swear I never ate zucchini
before discovering this recipe, but can’t stop eating this dish. It freezes well;
consider doubling and sharing with friends or freezing in small freezer zipping
bags. If serving as a main dish, serve over Basmati rice, or turn it into my
Indian-Italian Fusion by layering it with polenta and cheddar cheese.
A
Simple and Delicious Dahl (South Asian Vegetable Stew)
Serves
around 8 over rice
 |
| Vegetable Dahl |
Here’s
the trick for easy preparation:
While
the dried yellow peas are simmering, chop the vegetables, putting in separate
dishes. Also and put the spices in separate dishes (explained below) – this
will make it go together easily and really fast.
Ingredients
The Boiled
Peas
1
cup yellow split peas (available at Whole Foods or natural food coops)
1
- 14 oz. can chicken stock, with half a can or more of water as needed. (You
can use vegetable stock or just water for a vegan version of the dish.)
½
medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
Salt
to season the simmering split peas
The
Vegetables and Spices
2
tablespoons oil
1
teaspoon brown mustard seeds (available at Whole Foods or natural food stores.)
1
Tablespoon chopped ginger or ginger paste (to simplify I use pre-chopped or tubes
of paste available in produce sections.)
1
Tablespoon crushed garlic (I use paste or pre-chopped from the produce section)
1
large sweet onion, coarsely chopped
1
green bell pepper, chopped in 1” chunks
1
jalapeno seeds and all, chopped fine (If you like a dish spicy add another
jalapeno.)
1
teaspoon turmeric (available in most spice sections)
2
teaspoons garam masala (a mixture of spices available at Whole Foods, natural
food markets or in many supermarket spice sections)
3
small (6”) zucchini scraped leaving a bit of green and sliced into 1/4” or
thinner rounds. (I use a zester on the skin attractively leaving lines of
green).
1
– 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes. (I use petite diced)
2
Tablespoons lemon juice
2
Tablespoon water
Salt
and some pepper to taste
Instructions
Wash
the split peas and place them in a saucepan with the stock and salt. Let it
come to a boil while you coarsely chop the ½ onion for the peas. Add the onion,
cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, until the peas are soft but still whole.
Add water as needed to not let them boil dry. When the peas are soft, but still
whole, drain and set them aside.
While
the peas are cooking, chop the whole onion, green pepper and jalapeno putting them
together in a bowl. Slice the zucchini put it into a separate bowl. Put the crushed
or chopped garlic and ginger into a dish. Put the brown mustard seeds in a
dish. Put the garam masala and turmeric together in another dish. Heating the
pan to medium, add the cooking oil, when oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Cover
and fry briefly until they start popping (don’t let them burn).
Quickly
add the whole chopped onion, green pepper and jalapeno, frying gently stirring
periodically for around 10 minutes until the vegetables soften, adding the
ginger and garlic toward the end of cooking.
Stir
in the turmeric and garam masala into the vegetables blending well and cook for
1 minute. Turn to medium low heat and stir in the zucchini, tomatoes, lemon
juice and water. Simmer a bit adding salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer
until the zucchini has softened. Turn off heat and carefully fold the split
peas into the vegetables.
Indian-Italian
Fusion Casserole
For
the Indian Italian Fusion casserole, spoon some of the vegetables onto a layer
of polenta and top it with cheddar cheese, place another layer of polenta,
another layer of vegetables, and a layer of cheddar. Finally add a third layer
of polenta and top it with cheddar cheese. I bake at 400 degrees until the
casserole is heated through and bubbling.
If
your neighbors haven’t already shown up at your kitchen window drawn by the
amazing aromas, be prepared to be very popular, even among the
vegetable-challenged, when you arrive with this dish at some event.
