kurma News

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Kurma — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:03:40 GMT

A friend wrote me the other day asking if I had heard of a particular vegetarian restaurant in Dallas. I replied that I had not, and that the only restaurant I was familiar with in that city was the famous Kalachandji's.

Here's Lisa and Jessica from The Veronica's on a recent visit to Kalachandji's.

Check out Kalachandji's website, and when next in Dallas, be sure to visit.

Taking Stock

Kurma — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:55:30 GMT

Marcylene from Fort Erie, Ontario writes:

"Dear Kurma, Would you please forward me a recipe for Homemade Soup Stock. I used to buy the vegetarian soup base and I find it way too salty. I am not supposed to have salt plus I am a vegetarian as well. Thansk a million."

My reply:

Hello Marcylene, Here's some stock recipes from my first cookbook 'Great Vegetarian Dishes".

Below are recipes for various vegetable broths: Green Vegetable Stock, Root Vegetable Stock, Brown Vegetable Stock, and Chinese Vegetable Stock. These recipes, however, should act only as a guide. Whenever you can, save vegetable peelings, stalks, leaves, and any water used to boil vegetables. Broths can serve as a natural flavour enhancer for soups, rice dishes, dals and stews.

Green Vegetable Stock

COOKING TIME: 2 hours,
YIELD: 3 - 4 cups (750 ml - 1 litre).

2 tablespoons butter,
6 cups chopped fresh green vegetables,
1.5 cups chopped fresh herbs, chopped celery stalks, beans, pea pods, etc,
8 cups (2 litres) water,
2 teaspoons salt,
2 bay leaves,
3 cloves,
1/4 teaspoon yellow asafoetida powder.

Melt the butter in a heavy 6-litre/quart saucepan or stockpot and saute the vegetables for 20 minutes over moderate heat. Turn off the heat and allow the vegetables to "sweat" with a lid on for 10 minutes.

Add the water and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil; then simmer for 1 1/2 hours with a tight-fitting lid. Strain. Refrigerate the stock and use as needed.

Root Vegetable Stock

COOKING TIME: 2 hours,
YIELD: about 3 cups. (750 ml)

2 tablespoons butter,
1/2 large potato, diced,
1 cup squash or pumpkin, diced,
2 medium celery stalks, chopped,
2 carrots, diced,
8 cups (2 litres) water
1 bay leaf,
1/4 teaspoon yellow asafoetida powder,
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns,
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger,
2 whole cloves,
2 tomatoes, chopped,
2 teaspoons salt.

Add the water and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil; then simmer for 1 1/2 hours with a tight-fitting lid. Strain. Refrigerate the stock and use as needed.

Brown Vegetable Stock

BEAN SOAKING TIME: overnight,
COOKING TIME: 2 hours,
YIELD: about 2 litres/quarts.

2 cups dried beans (cannelini, lima, borlotti, kidney), soaked in water overnight,
3 litres/quarts water,
3 tablespoons butter,
2 celery stalks, chopped,
1 cup squash or pumpkin, diced,
2 small carrots, diced,
2 cloves,
1/2 teaspoon yellow asafoetida powder,
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger,
1 bay leaf,
1 tablespoon (20 ml) salt.

Drain the beans. Boil the beans in two litres/quarts of water in a heavy saucepan. Simmer until the beans are soft (about 1 hour).

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over low heat. Saute the vegetables in butter for 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat cover it with a lid, and allow the vegetables to "sweat" with a lid on for 10 minutes.

Add the remaining water and set aside. When the beans have been cooking for 1 hour, add the vegetables and water with the spices and salt to the beans and bean water and boil for another 1 hour. Strain. Refrigerate the stock and use as required.

Chinese Vegetable Stock

COOKING TIME: 1 hour,
YIELD: 6 cups (1 1/2 litres).

1 1/4 cups mung bean shoots
1 cup Chinese cabbage, chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon yellow asafoetida powder
1 teaspoon Chinese sesame oil
10 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt.

Wash the bean shoots and place them in a heavy 4-litre/quart saucepan or stockpot with all the other ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for one hour. Strain and use as required.

Vegi Burger King

Kurma — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:17:53 GMT

Michelle from Australia's Gold Coast wrote:

"Dear Kurma, I would like to request if you could do me a favour. I am cooking your wonderful Vegie Nut Burgers for 300 people! Are you able to provide me with quantities for 300?

I love this recipe and have been feeding my family these burgers for years. However this recipe is in mls....oh a little tricky to convert. Much blessings from a hopeful recipient..."

My Reply:

My original recipe makes 16 burgers. 300 divided by 16 = 18.75. Rounding up, you'll need to multiply the recipe by 20 to cover it. The recipe multiplies exactly. So that's:

20 cups cooked short-grain rice (it should be sticky) ,
30 cups cooked brown lentils, thoroughly drained ,
10 cups carrots, coarsely shredded ,
30 cups bread crumbs ,
10 cups peanut butter ,
800ml soy sauce (3 cups + 2 tablespoons) ,
100ml Chinese sesame oil (scant half cup) ,
3/4 cup dried basil ,
1 1/4 cups dried oregano ,
20 teaspoons salt (heaped 1/4 cup - careful) ,
heaped 1/4 cup yellow asafoetida powder ,
10 cups chopped fresh parsley ,
heaped 1/4 cup sweet paprika .

Proceed as per the recipe. Best wishes, Kurma.

Kurma Blog Re-runs: Cereal Killer

Kurma — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:07:10 GMT

Yadvah from India asks:

"Many people would argue that we do not eat meat because we believe in the 'ahimsa' (non-violence) principle, i.e we should not kill any living things. Then why do we eat plants, they too are living things and we kill them when we uproot them, don't we?

I know Lord Krishna has said in the Geeta that He will accept plants and fruits and water offered to him, but is there any scripturally related scientific reason as to why we may 'kill' (eat) plants? Is it something to do with the different elements they're made up of versus the five elements that animals and human beings are made up of? I would appreciate if you could kindly share your thoughts on this sir."

My answer:

"Well, I don't think the answer has got anything to do with the elements that plants and animals share in common. Rather, you answered your own question in quoting from the Gita verse. I can add that out of plants, fruits and water, of course, water and fruits are pain free. Although if you want to get picky, there are millions of microscopic creatures killed when we drink water and even breathe air.

But since you mention vegies, I would like to make a distinction: in the non-violent, pain-free category would be the eggplants, tomatoes, chilies, broccoli, zucchini, pumpkin, green beans, fresh peas etc etc etc - the list is vast - where the plant is not killed by plucking the vegetables. These vegetables are botanically the fruits of these plants, and these plants continue to live after we pluck their offspring. Just like I have a kumquat tree growing in my garden, and the tree happily (well I guess it's happy) allows me to pick the fruits, then gives more next year. Same with my lemon tree, my strawberries, my chilies, and all my herbs.

That just leaves things that are killed actually, like potatoes, grains, carrots, greens that are pulled out by the roots, killing the plant and releasing the soul that resides there. And, I might add, if we wanted to get botanically correct, potato plants, and most other root vegetables, and many if not all grain- and legume- plants actually die off before we take the harvest. And of course tree nuts are a yearly gracious gift of trees that live for decades.

So my perspective is this: There is a Sanskrit aphorism which states "Jivo Jivasya Jivanam", which means that by nature's arrangement one living being is food for another.

If we wish to tread more lightly on Mother Earth, and in doing so also create as little karmic debt as possible, we should kill as little as possible, and if we have to kill, then only kill those creatures that have the least developed nervous systems, and that hence feel very little pain, like the vegetables. And to be excused even for that killing, one should offer all his food to God first, before eating and by doing so he will be relieved of even the residual offense in killing the vegetables.

Kurma Blog Re-runs: In Search of The Perfect Chip

Kurma — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:06:42 GMT

Bhanu from UK writes: 'How to make potato chips at home that are crisp on the outside?'

My reply: Here's the step-by-step process:

Step One Begin by choosing the right kind of potatoes. This is the most important step. In different countries the ideal chip potato has different names. The best potato for chips should be neither too watery nor too high in sugar, which respectively give it a crispy texture and a light golden colour. In Australia, many feel Bintjes are the best, in UK it's King Edward. Not sure about USA. You get the picture. Whatever the name, choose a floury potato.

Step Two Peel the potatoes, slice, and cut the slices into even batons. In different countries, the preferred chips can be thin or thick. Again, it's a matter of taste.

Step Three Once you have cut the chips you should rinse them thoroughly to remove the excess starch. Pat them dry with a clean tea towel or paper towel. Some even soak them in water first, before rinsing. Either way, they must be completely dried.

Step Four This step is called blanching; the chips are fried at 160°C (some prefer 170°C) for 4-6 minutes and lifted out just as they start to colour. Make sure you use clean oil to fry in (sunflower is good as it has a high smoking point). Personally, I like ghee. It has an even higher smoking point, and tastes divine. Not cheap, but the very, very best, taste-wise. To assure the correct oil temperature: if you do not have a mini deep-fryer at home it's worth investing in a thermometer to take out the guesswork.

Step Five So we're frying the chips in batches, allowing the oil to recover its heat before submerging the next batch. Don't overcrowd. The chips will be cooked on the inside but not crisp. Crisping comes next.

Step Seven After the initial batches of chips are all fried and set aside, increase the oil temperature to 180-190°C.

Step Eight Cook the chips a second time, again in batches, allowing the oil to recover its heat in between batches.

Step Nine Continue to fry until the chips have a nice crispy golden exterior.

Step Ten Drain on some paper towel, lightly season with sea salt and serve immediately.

Kurma Blog Re-runs: "Shoots, Roots & Leaves"

Kurma — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:11:47 GMT

Relax, I'm not about to tell you one of those risque jokes about the panda with the sub-machine gun who walked into a bar. This is a serious posting ('yeah, sure', I hear you say).

No, I mean it.

Archana from Singapore wrote me this morning:

"I just bought fresh bamboo shoots from the supermarket. How do I cook it? I heard some contain cyanide and have to be leached out? Can you please explain how this is done."

My reply:

Yes, you are correct about the cyanide. Here's some information from the Australian Department of Public Health:

"What are bamboo shoots? - Bamboo shoots are a traditional component of Asian cuisine. Fresh bamboo shoots are cut, the outer leaves are peeled away and any fibrous tissue at the base is trimmed. They are sourced from the underground stems of the bamboo plant. There are many species of bamboo, of which only a small number are used as food.

Where do bamboo shoots come from? - Most of the bamboo shoots imported into Australia and New Zealand come from China, Taiwan, Thailand and other South East Asian countries.

Are raw or fresh bamboo shoots safe to eat? - Bamboo shoots are safe to eat providing that they are prepared properly.

Fresh bamboo shoots that have not undergone any processing can be a potential public health and safety risk due to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides. This can lead to hydrogen cyanide exposure and its related toxicity.

How do I make bamboo shoots safe to eat? - Fresh bamboo shoots should be sliced in half lengthwise, the outer leaves peeled away and any fibrous tissue at the base trimmed. It should then be thinly sliced into strips and boiled in lightly salted water for eight to ten minutes.

The most common preparation involves boiling the shoots in stocks, soups or salted water for use in assorted dishes."

Kurma Blog Re-runs: The Big Salad

Kurma — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:03:57 GMT

Many years ago, when I was travelling the world, interviewing expatriate Australian Hare Krishna devotees for my historical book, 'The Great Transcendental Adventure', I found myself in Colorado. I had tracked down some old friends, Vidyaranya and Dipak, who lived in Boulder and Basalt respectively.

My home base was in Denver, at the Hare Krishna Temple, and everyday I would have lunch at Govinda's on Cherry Street. It's still there, by the way, and highly recommended.

I picked up quite a few recipes on the road, and some of them made their way into my subsequent cookbooks.

Yesterday I received this letter from Pamela in California, and it got my culinary memory juices flowing:

"I am asked to make Almond salad dressing for our next home program. Would you please give me the recipe. Thank you."

Here's my reply:

DYNAMITE DRESSING

The Hare Krishnas of Denver, Colorado, run a very popular restaurant, Govinda's, on Cherry Street. One of their salad dressings particularly appeals to me; as the name suggests, it's packed with strong flavours. Nutritional or brewers yeast is available at health food stores.

PREPARATION TIME: a few minutes
YIELD: 2 cups

1 cup blanched almonds
1 cup cold water
1 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast or brewers yeast

Place all the ingredients in a blender and process until completely smooth. That's it.

It's a great dressing, especially on 'big salads'.

Kitchen Design

Kurma — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:23:02 GMT

Deva from USA wrote:

"What is your opinion on open shelving in the kitchen? Dirty? Impractical? Greasy? Or....you know...lovely?"

My reply:

Dear Deva, personally I like a bit of both.

I like all my eatingware to be in cupboards with doors so that they stay clean and dust/grease free. That way they are ready to use without rinsing first. By the time I need to access eatingware I am usually rushed and a bit 'cooked out', and done with non-essential stuff. Having eatingware always in an enclosed cupboard facilitates an 'out with the plates and glasses, serve out and off you go' sort of thing.

Cleaning goods and things like plastic wrap, foil wrap, garbage bags, paper towel supplies, zip-lock baggies, dishwashing soap, and other 'out of sight' stuff I always store in cupboards with doors, right under the sink.

I am happy to have some big cookingware on open shelves. They would need a quick check and maybe a rinse at the beginning of the cooking, when I'm fresh and able to do that anyway. They look impressive and take up a lot of cupboard space.

Always-used utensils like spoons and whisks, favourite frypans and small saucepans, knife blocks and spatulas, graters and the like - I have them at arms' reach always, in the open.

I like to keep a dispenser with a roll of good quality paper towel right next to the stoves for immediate mop-up facility for spills, spatters, drips and boil-overs.

A full range of glass jars of small amounts of spices are always in the open in a shady heatproof place for instant access.

Bulk spices, and all bulk dry goods, including dried fruits, nuts (if they can't fit in the fridge) grains and dried legumes, etc etc I like in cupboards with doors, so the contents are completely out of sight.

Big machines that are heavy, like food processors, dough mixers, juicers, and heavy mortars and pestles I like on open shelves at waist or chest height for easy access. No tough lifting.

Hope this sheds light, Kurma.

Custard Tarts and Lemon Curd

Kurma — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:48:39 GMT

VK from Singapore wrote:

"For many years I have been looking for a good recipe for custard tarts and making lemon curd for tarts without eggs. The results, though decent, are nevertheless lacking something. I am sure you will be able to help. Your book Great Vegetarian Dishes has been my trusty companion for many years now".

My reply:

Hello VK! The something that your custard tarts and lemon curd recipes are lacking is ...eggs. I am sure it's possible to make some nice ones, without; however, despite your flattering plea, I have to admit that I don't have any spectacular custard tart recipes, nor any for egg-free lemon curd. Guess that leaves me with custard on my face!

Are there any readers out there that can help?

Birchermuesli

Kurma — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:08:26 GMT

Do you have sudden food cravings? I am sure you do, even if you're not pregnant. Today, even though it's way before dawn, I feel like Birchermuesli.

Perhaps it was because I fasted from all grains yesterday in observance of the holy Ekadasi day. Or it could have something to do with the fact that I published the recipe on my Recipe of the Week over the weekend. Somehow thoughts of it got lodged in my memory hard drive and have now reappeared, demanding gratification. Desires are like that. Well it's too bad, Kurma. You didn't soak your rolled oats last night. In fact I don't have any. Only steel-cut, which are way too serious for eating raw.

Birchermuesli is named after its creator, Dr. Bircher Benner, who was ousted from the Swiss medical profession in 1900 for his heretical claims that grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables had more nutritional value than did meats. Wash your mouth out, Doctor!!

In formulating the muesli, Benner had in mind his many patients from wealthy families who were suffering the effects of a diet too high in protein.

Although it was not originally intended as a breakfast food, it certainly fills that niche deliciously. Here's the recipe. It serves 4 very modest eaters. I could eat the whole thing on a big day.

2/3 cup rolled oats (not instant) soaked in 1 cup of water overnight,
juice of 1½ lemons,
4 unwaxed apples,
4 tablespoons each of freshly ground almonds and hazelnuts,
2/3 cup yogurt,
4 tablespoons honey,
fresh seasonal fruits like peaches, apricots, bananas, melons or mango, sliced or chopped, to taste,
fresh seasonal berries like raspberries, strawberries or blueberries, to taste.

Place the soaked oats and whatever residual water remains with them in a large bowl along with the lemon juice.

Grate the un-peeled apples, and mix them into the oats and lemon to avoid discolouration.

Add the nuts, yogurt and honey and combine. Carefully fold in the sliced or chopped fruit.

Serve: transfer to serving bowls and decorate with berries.

Note: the muesli will keep for 24 hours in the refrigerator. The apple might discolour but this should not affect the taste.

Krishna's Flute

Kurma — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 07:40:03 GMT

"When Krishna played the first note on His flute, the autumn season appeared in Vrindavan..."

Brahma-Muhurta - The Time of Rising from Bed

Kurma — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:06:45 GMT

It was Benjamin Franklin who wrote in Poor Richard's Almanack: "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."

There is a great deal of profound truth in this proverb...more...

Detention

Kurma — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:57:03 GMT

Hare Krishna Vegetarian Food Relief for Haiti

Kurma — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:32:03 GMT

I received this letter from a friend.

"Hare Krishna Food for Life Global has established our first base in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic with the help of Ekendra Prabhu and the Hungarian team led by Koda Nitai. Many volunteers will come to the Food for Life Santo Domingo headquarters in next days.

On Saturday evening we distributed 100 portions of hot meals in the local hospital, organized by Ekendra and local devotees. There are a lot of Haitian refugees here in Santa Domingo and local hospitals and humanitarian aid agencies can not take care of everyone, so Food for Life is providing tasty prasadam (sanctified vegetarian food) for some of them.

Food for Life Global is continuing to receive volunteer applications and donations from all over the world to support our efforts. A new web site will soon be created to fully document the progress of our team.

Your donations are still crucial at this stage of the development and we sincerely thank all who have already come forward to support FFLG. Please continue to give whatever you can and remember: FFL can serve more than 100 meals in a crisis like this for as little as $25. So your dollars will go a long way.

We are also appealing to the public to supply our team with the best quality produce. If you are able to donate bulk organic produce or grains, please contact our office now because we have a plane standing by in Florida ready to fly over supplies.

If you would like to volunteer you can contact us at haiti@ffl.org

or go to this web site: http://www.ffl.org/ffl_volunteer_register.php

If you would like to donate you can wire the funds to the Food for Life Global - Emergency Relief Fund:

J.P. Morgan Chase Bank,
Address: New York, NY 10017,
Routing: 021000021,
Account Owner: Food for Life Global,
Account Name: Emergency Relief - 820603645.

If you would prefere to wire in Euros you can donate to Food for Life European Office account with SEPA payment:

Hrana za zivljenje - Food for Life Èernetova 11, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia IBAN: SI560201 0025 7730 518 SWIFT: LJBASI2X PURPOSE: HAITI Bank: NOVA LJUBLJANSKA BANKA d.d. Tax number: 40564371

Donors can also donate online at http://www.ffl.org/ffl_donation.php

We would appreciate if you could post this information to your local Food for Life office, temple, put it on your website, inform the media and let us know if you need any more information for the local, regional or national Haiti Relief Food for Life campaings.

Mukunda

Matej Poljansek,
Director for Europe,
e. haiti@ffl.org,
e: europe@ffl.org,
w: www.ffl.org,
Food for Life Global,
m.uk +447891555652,
m.si +38641777426,

Don't Cry for Me Argentina

Kurma — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 06:41:32 GMT

Today I received a Facebook friend request from a gentleman who lives in Argentina. I was amazed when I calculated that almost seven years have passed since my one-and-only-visit to that big Southern land.

Read all about it....

Los Habaneros

Kurma — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:12:50 GMT

By far the most prolific plant in my garden at the moment is this magnificent specimen. Grown from a single seed of a single fruit of last years' crop, this Yellow Habanero bush is getting close to neck-high.

"The Habanero chili pepper most likely originated in the Yucatán Peninsula and its coastal regions. Upon its discovery by Hispanics, it was rapidly disseminated to other adequate climate areas of the world, to the point that 18th-century taxonomists mistook China for its place of origin and called it "Capsicum chinense" — the Chinese pepper.

The chili's name is derived from the name of the Cuban city of La Habana, which is known as Havana in English. Although it is not the place of origin, it was frequently traded there. This pepper is one of the hottest on Earth.

Today, the crop is most widely cultivated in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. Other modern producers include Belize, Panama (anecdotal evidence suggests that the ones grown there are some of the hottest and most flavorful), Costa Rica, parts of the United States including Texas, Idaho, California, and Kurma's garden.

Habaneros are an integral part of Yucatecan food. Habanero chilies accompany most dishes in Yucatán, either in solid or purée/salsa form. Their actual degree of "heat" varies greatly with genetics, growing methods, climate, and plant stress. "

The plants are loaded with flowers, and the bees are doing a grand job of pollination. This means that most flowers are turning into fruits, which are head-exploding hot, but very aromatic.

All in all, my chili production this year is through the roof. I am drying chilies, making chili pickles, giving chilies away, handing out baby chili plants (to friends and relatives only) and storing seeds.

This lovin' plateful, picked yesterday, includes Scotch Bonnet, Red Savina, Costa Rica, Yellow Habaneros and Red Habaneros.

What to Eat This Australia Day?

Kurma — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:45:38 GMT

If you follow the status quo here in Australia, then you may be feeling guilty if you don't tuck in to some barbecued body parts this Australia Day.

But if you feel like a chuckle instead of chucking a chop, here's a lightweight amuse-bouche.

Warning: Unless you live in Australia, this will make absolutely no sense at all.

Wheat Alternatives

Kurma — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:01:43 GMT

Sheila from New York, New York writes:

"Can you suggest some flours that I can use instead of wheat, especially for the grain-fast on the sacred Ekadasi day?"

My reply: "Yes. Here's my list of non-wheat flours, some you may not have encountered."

amaranth

Amaranth flour: Milled from the seeds of the amaranth plant, this flour boasts a higher percentage of protein than most other grains, and has more fibre than wheat and rice. It is also higher in the amino acid lysine, which some food scientists believe makes it a more complete protein than flour made from other grains. Amaranth flour can be used in cookies, crackers, baking mixes, and cereals.

Arrowroot flour: The rootstalks of a tropical plant are the source of this flour, often used as a thickener for sauces and desserts; the finely powdered arrowroot turns completely clear when dissolved (giving gloss to sauces), and adds no starchy flavor. Because of its easy digestibility, it is also an used as an ingredient in cookies intended for infants and young children. I use it as a grain-free substitute to corn flour (cornstarch for all US readers).

Buckwheat flour: A common ingredient in pancake mixes, buckwheat flour is also used to make Japanese soba noodles. It is available in light, medium, and dark varieties (the dark flour boasts the strongest flavor), depending on the kind of buckwheat it is milled from. You can make your own buckwheat flour by processing whole white buckwheat groats in a blender or food processor.

Chestnut flour: This tan flour is made from chestnuts, the meaty, lowfat nuts that are often served as a vegetable. The flour is a little sweet and is traditionally used in Italian holiday desserts. Italian shops sell it.

Potato flour (potato starch): Steamed potatoes are dried and then ground to a powder to make this gluten-free flour, which is commonly used in baked goods for Jewish Passover (when wheat flour may not be used).

Quinoa flour: Higher in fat than wheat flour, quinoa flour makes baked goods more moist. You can make your own quinoa flour by processing whole quinoa in a blender; stop before the flour is too fine - it should be slightly coarse, like cornmeal.

Tapioca flour: Milled from the dried starch of the cassava root, this flour thickens when heated with water and is often used to give body to puddings, fruit pie fillings, and soups. It can also be used in baking.

Water-chestnut flour (water-chestnut powder): This Asian ingredient is a fine, powdery starch that is used to thicken sauces (it can be substituted for cornstarch) and to coat foods before frying to give them a delicate, crisp coating.

I am sure this is not a complete list. I also encountered flatbreads made from banana flour whilst in India. Last time I posted this information I received this letter from a reader:

"I also have some more flours used by Gujarati Krishna Devotees.

1) Ragigara (or Ragigaro or rajgira/rajgeera) flour - Very small - is a very small tiny seeds like yellow mustard seeds but much smaller. The seeds can be used to make popcorn and these popped seeds are used to make khir with milk and sugar. The flour is used to make halavah which turns out to be a brown and sticker than regular halavah. The flour is used to make vada, parathas, puris, rotis and small pakoras with mashed potatoes using herbs, ground black pepper and salt added. (note from Kurma: this is amaranth, as described in my list above.)

2) Singado flour. Pakoras are made using ground peanuts and mashed potatoes, little baking power, salt and coriander leaves and ground black pepper. (note from Kurma: this is another name for Water Chestnut flour, as described above.)

3) Cassava grits and flour. (very starchy but sweet tasting roots). Boil the grits with 2 to 3 times the water. It turns into mashed potato consistency and any chopped vegetables can be added. These can also be used to make halavah and base for the Ekadasi Pizza. Boiled Cassava makes excellent subji with lots of fresh tomatoes. Boiled - sliced (one inch thick sticks) - Fried sticks sprinkled with black pepper and salt and a little lemon, make amazing chips that far surpass potato chips. Hope this helps. Gandhari Dasi"

Vegetarians Less Likely to Get Cancer

Kurma — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 05:35:14 GMT

The Vancouver Sun,
Monday 18 January

Vegetarians less likely to get cancer

"Vegetarians are 12 per cent less likely to develop cancer than meat eaters and the advantage is particularly marked when it comes to cancers of the blood, British researchers said on Wednesday.

Past research has shown that eating lots of red or processed meat is linked to a higher rate of stomach cancer and the new study, involving more than 60,000 people, did confirm a lower risk of both stomach and bladder cancer.

But the most striking and surprising difference was in cancers of the blood -- such as leukemia, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma -- where the risk of disease was 45 per cent lower in vegetarians than in meat eaters.

"More research is needed to substantiate these results and to look for reasons for the differences," Tim Key, study author from the Cancer Research UK epidemiology unit at Oxford University, said.

Key and colleagues, who published their findings in the British Journal of Cancer, followed 61,000 meat eaters and vegetarians for over 12 years, during which time 3,350 of the participants were diagnosed with cancer.

The study, which looked at 20 different types of cancer, found the differences in risk were independent of other factors such as smoking, alcohol intake and obesity, which can all increase the chance of developing cancer."

Shepherd's Pie

Kurma — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:16:04 GMT

MM from Adelaide writes:

"I often go to the Hare Krishna temple here in the suburbs of Adelaide. One day the chefs made a beautiful and delicious lentil shepherds pie. I don't know what spices or ingredients they used, but I would love to get the exact recipe. Can you share it with me?"

My reply:

"Hello MM! I have a recipe in my original cookbook, but I have no idea whether what you tasted was my exact recipe or whether the cooks there just adapted it. The best I can do is supply you with my recipe, as below.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Those of you (like myself) of "Anglo-Saxon" background, will perhaps be familiar with the cruel, non-vegetarian origins of this dish. It contains the cooked minced flesh of slaughtered baby sheep {called 'lamb', by the way} which is smothered in mashed potatoes and baked in the oven. Here's my tender-hearted version.

PREPARATION AND COOKING TIME: 1 1/2 hours
YIELD: enough for 6 to 8 persons

For base of pie

1 1/4 cups brown lentils
2 litres water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon yellow asafoetida powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup celery, diced
home-made curd cheese (panir) from (2 litres) milk and pressed for 1/2 hour, or 200g shop-bought panir cheese
5 tablespoons good quality tamari or soy sauce

For potato topping

2 tablespoons butter
6 large baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Boil the brown lentils and water in a heavy 6-litre/quart saucepan. Reduce to a simmer and cook until they become soft. Strain through a colander. Put the lentils aside and retain the liquid for use as a soup stock at a later date.

Meanwhile, boil the potato cubes in slightly salted water until they become soft. Drain and mash them until smooth. Add the butter, milk, salt, and sour cream and mix well.

Heat the olive oil in a small, heavy pan until very hot. Add the asafoetida and pepper and saute momentarily. Add the celery bits and stir well; reduce the heat and braise the celery until soft, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.

Mash the drained lentils until smooth.

Crumble the curd cheese in a bowl and add the soy sauce. Mix well. Combine this mixture with the mashed lentils and the braised seasoned celery bits.

Spread this pie filling evenly in the bottom of an ovenproof casserole dish. Cover this with the mashed potatoes. Smooth the mashed potatoes and use a fork to mark the top with lines.

Bake in a very hot oven 230°C/450°F until the top is browned. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh parsley, and serve hot.