Super easy badam/almond halwa

When we were growing up, almonds were a luxury. They were mainly a product of the beautiful state of Kashmir and was sold in the ration/grocery shops or, as in Delhi, on the roadside.
I remember my mother telling me once that the price was 500 Rs. a kilo.
When I was growing up, that was an unaffordable price for us.
Almonds were thus not an item usually found in the home kitchen.

When my Dad took us kids out in a FORD V8 on Sundays for a treat, one of us invariably ordered badam halwa . We would sit at the old drive-up restaurant in Cubbon Park, Bangalore, and unwrap the banana leaf the badam halwa came packed in, trying not to get the dripping ghee on our clothes and then enjoy every bit of the delicacy. The piece we were served would be about one inch by two, one millimeter thick and so very rich.

When my mother got some almonds, it was an EVENT for her...just slightly less important than the black puttu rice I mentioned earlier in the blog.
We kids sat around the dining table and helped shell the almonds.
Then they were soaked overnight in hot water and the troops were again mustered in the morning to peel them...how hard it was to get those almonds out, yet no complaints were voiced by minds already contemplating the enjoyment of the dishes my mother would concoct for us.

Most people who did make it 'faked it' by using cashew nuts, a very few almonds and adding almond essence for the flavor.

The quintessential badam halwa was Mom's favorite dish. She would use milk and sugar instead of the condensed milk and milk powder I have substituted in her recipe. She would cook it to the setting stage and then pour it into a greased plate and cut it into diamonds.
Then there was her badam kheer/payasam which was super delicious.
Best loved by us kids and all guests, was Mom's almond ice cream, with my brothers or the servant churning the old wooden barrel. How much anticipation laced the air, while we waited for Mom to pronounce the ice cream ready to eat. We would line up eagerly for our bowls, then run into the garden to enjoy the treat. No amount of money can buy the memories of home a good mother creates for her children.

1 cup almonds/badam
1/2 cup milk (if you are using a blender to grind nuts).
1 14 oz can of condensed milk
2 cups milk powder
1/2 tsp cardamom powder.

Blanch almonds.
TIP: Place nuts in water in a microwave safe dish and zap for 2-3 minutes. Be sure the water bubbles.
Wait a few minutes before you remove the bowl from the microwave to avoid 'flash' burns.
Cool or rinse immediately in cold water and then peel. The almond sheds its skin so easily!

Blend almonds medium coarse aka slightly grainy.
In the food processor it does not need milk, but in a blender it will so that the blades don't get jammed up.
(we used to fry this almond paste in butter, but I skip this in the interest of our already clogged arteries.)
Place almond paste on stove on medium low with condensed milk and milk powder.
Stir continuously till almond halwa falls as a mass from the spoon.
This will burn quickly so keep stirring.
Mix in cardamom powder and remove halwa from stove.
Place in bowl...can be served hot or cold.

As this is a 'rich' sweet I serve about a rounded dessert spoon in a small bowl/dish, as the picture shows.

If you want the burfee, let the almond mixture cook to setting stage and then pour into a greased plate, cool and cut into diamonds. Stir constantly.
The old test for doneness with a burfee was if it left the bottom of the pan when a path was made by a spoon and stayed at the sides without running back to cover the bottom of the pan.
Another test was dropping a little bit of the mixture into a bowl of water and rolling it into a ball...if it rolled easily, it was ready.
Nowadays cooks use a candy thermometer for the setting stage which has soft set and hard set marked on it...go close to hard set before removing the mixture from the stove.
I just use the old eyeball and spoon method. If it doesn't set the way it should, I have two choices: return it to the stove and cook it some more thereby messing another pan or dig in with a spoon and a philosophical 'there's always a next time' shrug.
Guess which alternate I opt for?

Another way to serve is rolled into half inch balls.

Burfees/sweets cut best when just about to set.
Dip a knife in warm water to cut in neat lines.

SHORTCUT: This halwa can be made in the microwave too.
Mix all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.
Mic for 2 mins, remove, stir and mic for another 2-3 mins. Stir.
Keep doing this till you get the halwa consistency.

I thought of this after following the stove top method and scrubbing the pot I made the halwa in...just like a tube light...flicker, flicker, flicker and then the brightness!

And yes, the petals around the plate are from one of the striped roses in my garden.

Super easy gulab jamuns

A tea-time special, a great dessert, a festival sweet...the gulab jamun is a perennial favorite.

Here is a light version of this old sweet...years ago an American friend named them the brown 'thingummyjigs'...and whenever she came over she called ahead to give me ample warning that she wanted some.

The original version of this recipe was brought back by my sister's mother-in-law when she returned from the States in the 70's. I've adapted it to make it even more suitable for the calorie conscious and diabetics.

For the gulab jamuns:

1 cup pancake mix. (I use a complete pancake mix...the just add water kind...if I'm making this for a party. If it is for a puja/prayer offering then I get the kind that has no eggs in it.)
1/2 cup milk powder
2 tablespoons butter melted
A few tablespoons cold milk.

Mix the first two ingredients,then add melted butter and mix lightly.
Add milk, tablespoon by tablespoon till dough holds together.
TIP: Do not add all the milk at one time and do not knead like roti/bread dough...the dough should just hold together well. Roll in bowl to smoothen top.
You'll be surprised how quickly it becomes too sticky so be slow and careful with this 'adding the milk', stage.
TIP: If it gets too sticky add another tablespoon of pancake mix.
Cover the dough and let it rest five minutes.

For the syrup:

1 1/2 cup Splenda (use only sugar if making this for children and expectant mothers...read warning labels on Splenda package).
1/2 cup sugar.

2 cups water
1 level tsp cardamom powder.
1 pinch saffron.

Place all ingredients on stove top...bring to boil...reduce heat slightly and let it boil for 5 minutes by the clock.
This gives you a one string or one 'tar' consistency syrup, which is what you want for gj's.
Divide this quantity into half and place one half in a flat bottomed dish. The other half should be cooled and refrigerated in a separate container.

To fry gulab jamuns:

Heat one inch of oil on medium heat in a flat pan.
(corn oil or canola is good for frying this...olive oil is too dense).
While oil is heating, wet your hands.
Divide dough into quarters or thirds.
Take each section and roll between your hands into a caterpillar/snake, half inch thick.
Cut into half inch segments with a knife.
If necessary wet hands again and roll each segment into a ball as lightly as possible.
TIP: Do not use pressure while rolling...keep the balls light.
Wet hands will make for outer smoothness of gj's.

TIPS ABOUT FRYING

Oil has to be heated on medium high...fry six jamuns at a time.
If oil is too cold outside will start puffing too much...see the last few in picture have bulged on one side as the oil got cooler.
If oil is too hot, outside will burn and inside will remain uncooked.
Turn the gulab jamuns after twenty seconds with a spoon...almost like dribbling with a hockey stick...so that all sides brown evenly.

TIP: Frying needs attention so make all the balls before you start frying.
Cover with a damp paper towel so dough does not dry out.
Let it get one shade darker than golden brown, remove and drain on paper towel and then put into syrup in dish... for some reason the gj's get lighter in the syrup

After frying is complete and all gj's are in the dish...cover and leave on counter.
Turn gj's, after half an hour...again using a spoon carefully, so you don't break them up...to allow all sides to absorb syrup. If they have already become too soft...leave them alone!
Refrigerate if serving in a day or two...you will notice all the syrup is absorbed.
We like eating them this way but as most people like syrup with gj's...just before serving pour second half of syrup over gj's.
Enjoy.

This comes out superb and is easy. Once you get the hang of it...it takes about ten to twelve minutes. There's no hurry, so take your time with it.
Here's the plan I follow:
Make syrup.
While making syrup, mix dough.
Take a 5 min break while dough rests.
Place oil to heat on medium.
While it is heating, roll balls.
I do this dish solo, but if there is another pair of helping hands, one can roll and one can fry.

Preservation of food

Preservation of food has always concerned the women of the household in the old days.
Now as women and men both cook, it is shared equally by everybody.

Remember the days without a refrigerator?
The food that went bad in summer was quickly categorized: milk, potatoes, lentil dishes especially sambar.
There was a way to deal with everything:
Potatoes were cooked for one meal, the remainder kept near an open window where a lot of air came through. Lentils got the same treatment.
Milk was boiled 3-4 times a day and the vessel it was boiled in washed thoroughly, inspected carefully and then water boiled in it and discarded before the milkman arrived.

Then came the first Frigidaires and Kelvinators and life changed. The freezer compartment was so small though that other than making ice and ice cream, it had no space for anything else.
It wasn't till I came to America that I realized how much could be and was frozen.
As life got busier, I too cooked in large batches and stored food in the freezer.
I used it for storing food that we grew in summer: chopped tomatoes, fried eggplant, blanched green beans.
Besides freezing,bottling, canning, drying and salting food also help extend it's life.
In India my mother used the summer months to make pickle with limes and mangoes.
I remember my surprise when my mother told me people from Rajasthan and Sindh pickled every vegetable imaginable. I later realized it was because they didn't get these things all year round like we did in the South.
How intelligent they all were.

The main question about extending the shelf, refrigerator, or freezer life of any food is how long can we keep it after that.
Spices have been found beside the bodies of entombed Pharaohs that are still usable.
Pickles my cousins tell me are usable upto three years...these are the ones that are made the traditional way and stored in jars.
Once I got here, I had my own way of keeping things...I got all the spices, pickles and powders I could when I visited India and then kept them refrigerated till my next trip home. I still do that till someone brings me replacements or I buy them.
As far as I can remember nothing has spoiled.

How long should one keep things is the main question?
When the dals I bought started showing signs of insect infestation, I would throw them out. Then I got this tip: store the bags in the freezer for two weeks, then take out and all the eggs will be killed. I went two steps further: one I put every single item from the Indian grocery store into the freezer for two week, even flour and rice, two I store it all in my spare refrigerator. I have noticed that the two week freezer treatment prevents the spread of tiny insects which make all good cooks go UGH!
While veggies get moldy or change color or start smelling, dry ingredients don't have too many signs.
With dry ingredients, I'm careful to store properly and then check carefully before using. The slightest change in appearance or smell and the packet is off to the trash can.
With meat and fish in the freezer, the rule is now three months at the mo though I know people who buy and store their meat for a year or more.

Recently my niece sent me a link to a site which should help us all with this ongoing question.
Here's the link: http://stilltasty.com/




Here's to healthy eating!

KESARI

KESARI is a delicacy that can be enjoyed by one and all. Traditionally, Hindus make and serve it as prasad (food that is eaten after being offered to God). In our home it was made on every full moon day for a special prayer, and we kids loved it. Efforts to duplicate the way my mother made it, come in at second best. (Can anyone duplicate a mother's dishes exactly?)
The name kesari comes from 'made with kesar' (saffron), which gives this dish it's light creamy color.

Rawa or Sooji is the main ingredient. For those who don't have an Indian store near them, cream of wheat is an adequate substitute.
For those of you buying rawa/sooji, please make sure it is the medium coarse variety.
The very fine one and the large kind make for a different taste, so as Goldilocks would say the rawa for this dish has to be medium coarse to be 'just right'.

Originally this dish had to be made with equal quantities of rawa, sugar, ghee and water.
It would be drowned in ghee.
Over the years I have adapted this dish to our health needs, and here's the final recipe I use now.

1 cup rawa/sooji
3/4 cup sugar (if you have a very, very sweet tooth use 1 cup).
(I have used Splenda instead of sugar, with great results too).
1/2 to 3/4 cup ghee (melted and strained butter).
(Ghee can be made at home or bought in an Indian grocery store).
1/2 cup water
1 cup milk.
1/4 cup raisins, (wash and soak 5 mins).
1/4 cup blanched sliced almonds
1/4 cup cashewnuts.
1 tsp cardamom powder.
One pinch (2-3 strands) saffron.

Mix milk and water. Put saffron in and boil two minutes.
In a small pan fry almonds, cashewnuts and raisins separately till light brown.
Raisins burn quickly so watch carefully, or omit this step.
This can be done in a bowl in the microwave as long as you watch and stir every thirty seconds till you get the right color.
Remove and keep aside.

Assemble all ingredients and keep by stove before you start this dish.
In a large pan, on medium heat, fry rawa with cardamom powder, stirring constantly for 5-7 mins.
It should not turn brown but just start smelling heavenly.
(Overfried rawa will have an overdone taste).
Add ghee and fry for 3 mins.
Add water, milk, and raisins, stirring constantly till done...there should be no lumps.
When all the liquid is absorbed, add sugar.
Mix and leave on medium low for 5-7 minutes.
Stir halfway through, as it will stick to the bottom of the pan otherwise...this crust is delicious too and some insist it belongs to those who offer to wash the pan!

Remove kesari from stove and transfer to a glass dish. Sprinkle with nuts or mix them in.
Heat before serving. Enjoy.

Note: This is a quick dessert to make.
Amount of ghee can be lessened further to suit your needs.
The raisins make the kesari sweet, so amount of sugar can be adjusted to taste.
Freezes and re-heats well.

TIPS: Roast rawa without ghee, cool and store the day before.
Fry nuts/raisins the day before too.
If you HAVE to use the fine rawa reduce milk and water so total liquid to rawa proportion is 1:1.
If you HAVE to use the coarse rawa/cream of wheat, liquid to rawa proportion should be 2:1 (liquid being 2)

Black Puttu Rice Halva

This is my contribution on Mother's Day 2014, for Khuch Khatta Khuch Meetha aur Khuch Theeka

Rice has been a part of the Indian food culture forever. Especially in South India, rice dishes are eaten at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
There are so many different varieties of rice; some specific to the success of a dish. Basmati for biriyani, jeeraga samba for vegetable pulao, parboiled for dosa, ponni rice for idlis, red rice for health, and black rice for desserts.
Besides Indians, black rice is used by Thai, Phillipinos, Chinese and Indonesians.
The Thai and Indonesian variety are different to the Chinese variety. The former two are thin, medium to long grain, a lighter purple with brown and white mixed in; the latter are small grained and plump and all a dark purplish black. The Thai version produces a more glutinous halva, while the Chinese variety gives me perfect results.
I get the best Chinese rice sold under the brand name Forbidden or Lotus Rice in American grocery stores. There are some available in the Chinese stores too but for some reason it is not the best kind. The rice is available through mail order too.

Chinese legend has it that black rice was actually known as Forbidden Rice because it was only eaten by the Emperors. It is very nutritious when eaten in small quantities. While I found recipes for the rice cooked whole, both as a staple and a dessert, I didn't find one for the kind of dessert given below, thus inspiring me to share something different.

My search for an unusual recipe to share took me through several family cookbooks, an Internet search and then satisfied with the need for this recipe I got the ingredients and made it and took the usual photographs to share.
An interesting tale goes with the history of this dish. We called it black puttu rice at home. I guess it got that name as originally people must have made puttu with the flour. (For those of you unfamiliar with puttu it is a dish where rice flour is steamed and then mixed with sugar or jaggery, ghee and grated coconut and served as a breakfast dish in South India).
My mother used to have the black rice ground and with the resulting light purplish powder she would make a wonderful halva. Black puttu rice halva was a top family favorite.
The problem was getting the rice. When we were young and rice was rationed, it was difficult to get black puttu rice anywhere. Sometimes the rice would be available in Madras, brought from China via Singapore, or so the story went! When a relative came from Madras we children would wait eagerly ...not so much for the relative, but to know if his luggage held a few cups of carefully concealed black rice. We discussed this in whispers with our mother who shushed us with 'the look' in her eyes. Our father would not tolerate any wrong doing and would throw both relative and black puttu rice out!
When the relative came out from the guest room with a newspaper wrapped bundle of two cups of black puttu rice, my mother would exclaim in surprise that she never thought it would get through. Inspectors used to board the train in those days and search luggage to make sure no rice was carried out of Madras State. We children couldn't have been happier and our love for the relative would increase on the spot!
The servant would be sent to the mill with strict admonitions that the rice had to be ground after white rice only, nothing else and the servant should not take his eyes off the miller who might quickly conceal a table spoon or two for his personal use!
We would wait impatiently till it was brought back and watch as the purple flour was sieved and spread on a sheet of newspaper to dry.
The next day my mother would sit down on a cane stool to make it, a small kerosene stove on the floor in front of her (she did this with all the dishes that took a long time). Soon there would be a heavenly aroma wafting around the house, driving our salivary glands crazy, flooding our mouths with anticipation of the taste no other sweet preparation had. Finally, finally it would be ready and we would each have a scoop of the halwa in a bowl. One of my brothers would always urge my mother not to scrape out too much from the cooking pot, but to leave him the bottom portion. For those of us who know about that part, it is common knowledge that it is the best. My brother would patiently scrape the vessel clean before he handed it over to the maid and disappeared with his 'loot'.
My father would eat the halva silently. He must have loved it too, because to everybody including the relative's relief, it was the one dish he never asked questions about! I think the first spoonful made my father decide it was too late to do anything but enjoy!
My mother would heat and re-heat the halwa each day and it's taste would improve.
Our Anglo-Indian friends made a cake with the rice at Christmas time called 'Dol-dol'.
Genetics pre-disposes us to love certain tastes more than others...the last time I made this halva I cautiously gave the 5 and 3 year old grandchildren a taste. They don't like most Indian sweets. They nibbled the first bite, looked at me and said, "More!"
I couldn't have been happier...the right genes have been passed on!

Here then is the recipe for the halva we loved and still do.
My American version includes the usual tips and short cuts.



1 cup black puttu rice flour

2 level tbsps cornstarch (or maida)

1 small can...5.6 ozs coconut milk plus 1 can water. (available in Chinese, Thai & Vietnamese supermarkets)
(At home this would be made with two extracts of milk from a freshly grated coconut).

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup Splenda sugar substitute

OR 1 1/2 cups sugar.

1 tbsp ghee

Almonds to decorate, elaichi powder.

Mix cornstarch with water in a blender or food processor.

Add black puttu rice flour,coconut milk and sugar and mix well.

The consistency should be that of smooth buttermilk (not too thin not too thick). Add a little more water if necessary. The mix should be lump free.

Place in a thick bottomed pan and bring to boil….reduce heat to make sure halva isn’t getting scorched.

This will splutter and if your pan isn't deep enough, put on an oven mitt while stirring to avoid getting burnt!

When it is thick (halva consistency) and begins to leave the bottom of the pan, add ghee.

What is halva consistency?

It is when the black puttu halva falls from the spoon like a mass.

Mix well and transfer to a bowl.

Decorate with blanched, sliced almonds.
Store in refrigerate, re-heat every day and enjoy.

For those who want a shortcut, the shortest one I can think of for this recipe is: Find a Thai restaurant that has 'black rice pudding' or 'sticky rice pudding' on the menu and enjoy it there. Warning: call ahead to make sure your serving is available and reserve it as in our area it is usually 'sold out' by the time we get to the place.
Use the Chinese rice for best results, as whenever I've used the Thai rice, I get a different consistency in the end result.

*********
Thanksgiving 2018

Our son in law's aunt has a 'Chopped' competition Thanksgiving weekend.

The previous year's winners choose the ingredients for the current year.

This year we worked with:  Rice/riceflour, eggs, citrus and fennel/somph.

I used them like this:

2 cups black rice soaked for 3 hours. Blend in Vitamix with water it is soaked in...mixture must not be grainy at all...add 2 level tablespoons cornstarch, 2 eggs, 1-2 cups orange juice. Remove from Vitamix and place on stove in thick bottomed vessel. Add 2-3 cups sugar (accordng to your taste), 1 Tablespoon ghee or butter, orange pulp or mandaring orange segments chopped small and cardamom. Cook on medium stirring continuously. Will thicken quickly. Taste for sweetness. When it is like halwa, pour into mold and cool. Soak pan and it will wash easily. Cooking time was less than 10 mins. This is a family recipe originally made with coconut milk, sugar and ghee. Buy short grain Chinese black rice at Chinese store, not Thai long grain.

A look back as we step forward into 2010

Happy New Year to one and all.

As we step into a week old 2010, we are all wondering what we will write on the blank pages of this year. Words often change the direction of our thoughts and this is what I'm hoping to do here. A look back into our roots might help us all make and hold on to our New Year resolutions with the recipe below.

The holidays got me started on a reflective phase, analyzing my experiences with people of different faiths/religions.
Growing up in post British India, Christianity was part of convent school education and we all celebrated Christmas with more emphasis on the religious aspect. We learned and sang carols, took part in Nativity plays if there weren't enough Christian girls to fill the spots,hoped Santa would visit us.
Now more and more people from every faith in America get caught up in the decorating of a tree and exchanging gifts at this time of year. I was four or five, when I had the first experience I can remember of Christmas at the Bangalore Club, India. Santa arrived in a sleigh and we children ran behind the sleigh, well versed in all the carols taught at school. When he finally stopped and handed out gifts our joy knew no bounds. It was years later I discovered my father had pre-paid for the gifts that came from Santa.
What a welcome we received in every Christian home during the season with 'goodies' and home made wine. (The latter unfortunately sent me into such a fit of giggles on one such visit when I was 16, my mother made me promise never 'to drink' as she put it!)

What a grand heritage we had growing up in India, a country that has accepted all religions over the years, and celebrated religious tolerance and respect for all people, as an inherent part of life. Instant acceptance of people made our lives richer. We weren't burdened with the hump of ignorance. People were judged on their action and behavior towards us and society, not on their religion. In today's world, to ensure peace,we need to hold on to this.

Besides Christmas, we took part in all other festivals.
ID meant dishes of Biriyani from our Muslim friends, Diwali meant my mother sending trays of goodies to all the neighbors, Guru Nanak's birthday was celebrated with a visit to the Gurudwara and plenty of the best halwa in the world.
While gastronomically we children rejoiced in these festivals, our mother taught us about the history of each religion. She always had something positive to say about every faith:
"Look at the Muslims," she would say in awe, "Just look at them. 5 times a day they think of God. Let us think of God often too."
"I love the kirtans the Sikhs sing," she would tell us. "How much devotion in those songs...I can listen to them for hours." The same went for Bhajans and Hindu devotional songs which she played on our gramophone at home, religiously re-winding the handle every few minutes.
"Look at the Christians," she would say in admiration. "What discpline they follow, going to church every Sunday."
All this, while every Hindu festival was celebrated at home with great ceremony. Her understanding and acceptance of all faiths did not detract from her being a Hindu in any way. Diwali had us taking trays of sweets,snacks, dosa and chicken curry to every neighbor early in the morning.
During her lifetime my mother read and discussed every religious book she could get, always searching for a connection with God in every Holy Book. Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism...she explored and discussed every faith with us kids.
The first prayer she taught me, sprang from her own convent education. It was,'Our Father Who Art in Heaven',followed by 'Now I lay me down to sleep'!
Any other Hindu girl learn that, not at school, but from her mother at the age of 3?

My father made sure that we learned respect for every religion and how to behave when we accompanied him to different places of worship. As commanding officer, at one station, he said he couldn't lead his men if he didn't share their personal lives with them, so we went with him once a month to the Gurudwara, our heads covered with hankies knotted at the corners, sitting quietly through the kirtans. Church was part of our lives in school, as was learning verses from the Bible and singing hymns every morning.
We never heard criticism of any religion. Bad customs, yes, misguided beliefs yes, but never of the basic good tenets of every faith.
More than anything I thank my parents for giving us children the incomparable legacy of tolerance and understanding and acceptance of the good in every religion.

So now I tell everyone who asks what religion we are, that we practice Hinduism but we are Universalists by belief.
"What are Universalists?" I'm asked.
"Universalists are people who believe that religion follow different paths that leads to one God, no matter what name He is called by: Heavenly Father, Wahe Guru, Allah, The Supreme Brahma. All these roads, were laid out different for people of different languages, customs, areas, by sending them different leaders. They all end at one destination, one God, though our paths are different."
Even now those who grew up in India, know this in their hearts and say it out loud.
I watched an Indian show recently and the young participants respected and acknowledged every faith and every festival as it came up, through the year. I felt proud of my Indian roots. No one felt the need to say theirs was the only way to reach God and non-believers would go to Hell. Religion isn't a team sport...it is a personal part of each life...the only way it is another's business is if misguided beliefs result in actions/speech that interfere with our rights.
Don't alienate the people of one faith by basing your opinion of all on what one radical, extremist group is doing, whether it is burning temples, mosques, churches,or fighting wars. Treat people as individuals who have the same feelings you do.

So, this is my first recipe for total well being in 2010: Equal parts of contentment, health, happiness, not wanting from others what you cannot give them in return, freedom from envy, and most important of all... enlightenment which translates into: tolerance and respect for all people/religions as long as their practices don't interfere with anyone's inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Keep a constant supply of these ingredients on hand and use daily.

Enchiladas Supremo

I had a guest recently, whom I asked: "What's your favorite dish to make?"
"Enchiladas," was the prompt answer, followed by, "Want me to make them for you?"
That set us off on an adventure. Except for cheese quesadillas and burritos, I haven't tried much Mexican cooking and I was looking forward to doing something new.
She wrote down her list of ingredients and described the recipe...I suggested shortcuts. We both went shopping separately and cooked together. It took a while but everyone was pleased by the outcome!
Enchiladas have never been a favorite dish of mine but now I know why. I've never had them the way they should be made...and the best way to make them is to learn from someone whose native dish it is!
This isn't an easy recipe but worth the effort.
Wherever possible I've added tips and shortcuts.


Just Fried Tortillas

The finished product



Mayra's Chicken Enchiladas

(We made 24 with this recipe.)

Sauce (We made this the evening before.)

3 medium sized tomatoes
8 medium sized tomatillos
10 large CHILE CALIFORNIA (huge,dried red chillies)
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin powder.
1/2 large onion
Salt, pepper, chilli powder to taste.

(For green enchiladas use only tomatillos and green jalapeno chillies)

Remove 1/2 inch of the part of the tomatillos where the stalk is attached, with a sharp knife.
Slit and de-seed dried chillies. (Keep them if you want them spicier).

Fill a 4 qt stockpot with 2 qts water.
Add washed tomatoes, tomatillos, chillies and cook till tender (about 20 mins) and the color of the tomatoes changes.
Remove from water, blend with 1/2 large onion, salt, oregano, cumin, pepper and chilli powder (optional). We separated the sauce at this stage and I added chilli powder liberally in our half.

Sauce should be consistency of tomato sauce in a can.

Ingredients for filling

8-12 ozs of Mozarella cheese (either buy grated cheese or grate in food processor.

Shredded chicken

(Cook one chicken with 3 cloves of garlic, 1/2 onion and salt. Shred when cool into one inch pieces.
or
Shortcut: Buy one roasted chicken. Shred.

Enchiladas

(Buy the packet of 6" fresh corn tortillas from your local supermarket. We are lucky to have one that makes them fresh daily).

or

any pre-packaged 6" corn tortillas.

On a griddle/tawa/non stick pan, lightly cook each tortilla on both sides...must not get brown.
Heat one inch oil in frying pan.
Dip each tortilla in sauce, using tongs and then put into hot oil.
Fry both sides...30 seconds on each side.
TIP: Sauce and oil splash a lot so cover sides of fry pan and rest of stove with foil before frying.
I had to use 2 slotted spoons to remove each tortilla as they get very soft in the oil.
Drain in a colander.
If this method is too hard for you and it certainly is a challenge, read Method 2.
Fry all the tortillas first, unless you have someone helping you in which case you can do the following in tandem: one fry, one assemble.
On each tortilla, spread one large tablespoon each of chicken and cheese (adjust ratio to taste).
Roll up enchilada...place end side down in dish.
Optional: add chopped onion and tomato to chicken and cheese.
When all are done, sprinkle cheese on top.

Just before eating, heat in microwave till cheese melts on top.

CHEESE ENCHILADAS: Place cheese, chopped tomato, cilantro and onion inside.

Method 2: Low fat tortillas.
(Made this a couple of days ago and neither HD or I found a difference in taste. It is a much easier way as there is less clean up. I also double up on the sauce and froze a batch.)

Fry only the tortilla on both sides using half a tsp. of oil on each side,then dip in sauce, continue as above.
Mayra, the authority on enchiladas, insists it tastes better the traditional way (tortilla dipped in sauce then fried...so we did it her way) It did taste great!!!

Fill and roll as above. I add a cup of sauce over the enchiladas at this point and sprinkle with cheese.
Can be covered and frozen at this stage for a later date
or
Microwave/heat in 350 degree oven before eating and serve piping hot.

The votes were unanimous...this dish was great!!!
The secret, according to Mayra, is in the sauce.

The following dish is one use for left over sauce:

Chile with Chicken and Potatoes

Peel, cube and boil potatoes.
Shredded chicken
If using any other meat, fry in 3 Tbsps oil till well cooked.
Place in a dish.
Cover with above sauce.
Optional: add chopped onion and tomato.
Serve hot with tortillas.