Sesame Seeds - Tit-Bits!

I would like to share with you some tit-bits about the symbol of immortality…

Sesame seed [Gingelly Seeds/Til/Ellu/Nuvulu] is one nutrient rich spice that everyone likes to use. Sesame seeds are one of the oldest condiments on earth and are being used in a variety of ways.

There are a varieties of sesame seeds like the white, black, brown and even red colored sesame seeds.

The Nutritive Value per 100gms

          1. Energy – 563 Kcal
          2. Protein – 18.3 gms
          3. Fat – 43.3 gms
          4. Fiber – 2.9 gms
          5. Carbohydrates – 25gms
          6. Iron – 9.3 mg
          7. Calcium - 1450 mg
          8. Phosphorus – 570 mg
          9. Carotene - 60 micrograms
          10. Thiamin - 1.01 mg
          11. Riboflavin - 0.34 mg
          12. Niacin – 4.4 mg
          13. Choline – 2.24 mg
          14. Oxalic acid - 1700 mg

Sesame seeds are hulled to remove the oxalic acid [around 2-3%]. Oxalic acid interferes with the calcium absorption and hence it better be removed. It also gives a bitter flavor.

If you are buying sesame seed oil, look for the one with a dark amber color. The lighter colored ones may be adulterated with some other oil. Store them in a cool place away from sunlight or in a refrigerator. In a refrigerator the oil may turn cloudy, but not to worry, they return to the original color once they reach room temperature.

How to increase shelf-life - Sesame seeds are brimming with oil and turn rancid quickly. So it is better to buy small quantities and store them in an air tight container.
          Never be tempted to leave them in the pantry with the packaging. I have left them like that and in a months time they either turned rancid or I found wormies in them. Here is a secret what my Mom shared with me,..
          Once you bring them home, you just have to do one small thing to extend their shelf-life and to bring out their nutty flavor.
          Heat a pan and put in the sesame seeds. On a low heat toss them around the pan till they just start crackling. Switch off the heat and spread them on a plate. Don’t leave them too long in the pan, else they will taste bitter. If you feel the popping is annoying, just hold a meshed lid to shield you from the pan. Don’t close the pan with a fitting lid as the steam will turn the seeds soggy.
          When cool, store in an airtight container.

Alternatively, buy pre-toasted seeds, skip the toasting step and store in an airtight jar.

You can also refrigerate the seeds or freeze them and they stay good for more than 6 months.

Toasting these seeds has another interesting use as well. You can toss them over salads, rice or stir fries and you will be taking the dish to another level.

Thats it Folks! Happy Sesaming!

Dumplings!

Take-Away’s were a dream to me when I first landed here. But after a while I found out [with the help of my friends ofcourse] that there are a few vegetarian options in a few places!!

One such place is the ‘Da Niang Dumpling’. Da Niang means granny in Chinese and it is one of the most popular restaurants here. It is always full and to get a seat during weekends is a really a big deal.

This famous chain restaurant was started in 1996 and have a number of branches in various provinces. Apart from the many varieties of dumplings, it is famous for its tasty fillings of ‘three delicacies’. The 3 delicacy fillings will have various veggies in combo with meat and seafood. The one I can savour is a filling of – celery, mushroom and tofu. Apart from dumplings they also serve soups, cod dishes and assorted delicacies.

They follow the ‘more sales-less profit’ strategy and it clearly reflects in their pricing. The veggie platter I buy is 2.5RMB for 6 pieces and I can take out 2 portions for 5 RMB which is really filling.

Just because the pricing is less it does’nt mean the place has no standards. The restaurant is neat and clean and has courteous waitresses.

Everytime I pass by that restaurant I can’t resist my temptation to buy one, so last night I got my usual 3 filling delicacy and had a hearty yet light and filling dinner.

The take-away is frozen dumplings packed with a sachet of vinegar and a sachet of chilli paste. Bring them home, boil a pan of water and put in the dumplings, wait for them to cook. Meanwhile empty the sachets in a bowl and mix. Remove the dumpling from the pan and enjoy it with vinegar-chilli sauce!!

Would you like to have a bite???

Pico De Gallo

This is from Mexico.. Yes, after a very long time I am blogging about an international dish. It’s not that I am against international cuisine, it’s just that I keep blogging about the ‘everyday recipes’ that I don’t find time to try out other cuisines.

So what made me try this dish, you may ask. The scorching heat! I didn’t feel like having a spicy or even a non spicy side dish with Chapatti for lunch so I prepare Pico De Gallo as a side. The meal was fulfilling and I loved it.

If you are still wondering what I am talking about, you can rest. This is not any super duper dish. It’s a refreshing salad that is best when served chilled and takes just a few minutes to prepare.

You need:

1. Tomato - 2, deseeded and chopped finely
2. Onion - 1 small, chopped finely
3. Green chillies - 2 chopped
4. Lemon juice to salt
5. Salt to taste
6. A handful of coriander leaves to garnish

And the Steps:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl[except coriander leaves] and chill before serving!! Garnish with coriander leaves.

Yes, just one step!! This is the easiest salad ever. By now you must have understood that this is our Tomato onion salad with a Spanish name!!! Pica De Gallo is nothing but a fresh condiment made with tomatoes, onion and jalapeños. Sometimes lemon juice, coriander leaves, cucumber and radish may be used.



Did you know that Pico De Gallo means rooster beak in Spanish! Why the name ‘rooster beak’?? Some say that its is because of the use of beak shaped red chiilies. Other say its was originally eaten by hand using the thumb and fore finger and this action resembled the pecking of the rooster. Some all believe that it is a colloquial term for chicken feed as the condiments are finely chopped resembling the food given to chickens. What ever maybe the cause for such a name, it sure does taste great!!!

SESAME VEGETABLE NOODLES

Sunday is the day I hate to spend in the kitchen. Its a day meant to be lazy or go outing. But, hunger never takes a day off and I am forced to cook something or the other and hence its always a quick dish on weekends. This week we planned to take our lil angel to the zoo to show her the ‘real’ animals. She has been reading from her alphabet book and can recognize almost all the animals from it. She was excited at the prospect of seeing the animals. She is always eager to go out and enjoy her self. Enjoyment for her is running around the street without holding my hands and singing to her self some tune she makes up, waving to people who say Hai or Bye and most important of all not being told to sit in her crib!!!

So, since we planned to go out, I wanted a quick fix and all that came to my mind was noodles. With the seasonal veggies or any veggie at hand and tossing in a few tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds, a nutritious yet quick meal is ready.

You need:

1. Wheat noodles - 1 pack
2. Veggies – 1 cup, chopped [I used carrot, beans, boiled corn, potato]
3. Spring onions - 2 tablespoons, finely chopped
4. Spring onion greens - 1 tablespoon, finely chopped
5. Capsicum - 1/2, chopped
6. Garlic - 2 pods, chopped
7. Ginger - 1/2 a teaspoon, grated
8. Tomato - 1 small, chopped
9. Onion-1 small, chopped
10. Soya sauce - 1 teaspoon
11. Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
12. Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon
13. Sesame seeds - 1 tablespoon, toasted
14. Sesame seed oil - 1 teaspoon
15. Salt to taste


Steps to follow

1. Microwave the veggies [I used carrots, beans and potato] for 5 minutes or until soft. Alternatively you can pressure cook the veggies.
2. Similarly fill a large bowl with water and put in the noodles and microwave for 5 minutes or till done. Alternatively you can use a pan filled with water and boil the noodles till done. Drain the noodles and run it under cold water and keep aside.
3. Heat a pan with oil and put in the jeera
4. When it crackles, add the onion, garlic, spring onions and ginger and sauté till the onion is soft.
5. Add the capsicum and stir for a minute and then put in the tomatoes.
6. Cook till the tomato is mushy.
7. Add the soya sauce and chilli powder, cooked veggies, boiled corn and mix well and let it cook till the raw smell of chilli powder disappears, around 2 minutes.
8. Add salt. [But remember that the soya sauce also contains salt so check before you add salt to the dish]
9. Put in the cooked noodles and mix well.
10. Stir for 2 minutes and remove from flame.
11. Keep aside 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and put in the rest to the noodles and stir.
12. Just before serving garnish with spring onion greens and the remaining sesame seeds.



Relish the healthy noodles…..

This breakfast dish is also for my event Think Spice -Think Sesame Seeds!

Anyways, lil angel had a nice time in the zoo for she saw all the animals pictured in her alphabet book except the elephant but I don’t think she minded that. After a long walk around the zoo and the playing games in the park nearby, lil angel fell asleep on the way home.

ELLU SEVAI

Summer holidays are always fun - I mean when we are kids. No rushing to school, packed lunches, loads of homework!!!! I always used to look forward to the summer holidays. Mom and Dad would take me to my grandparent’s place where I used to stay till the end of the vacation. After spending a couple of days with me, my parents would return home and that’s when the ‘real’ holidays would begin.

Since I can do as I please in my grandparents place, there was not fixed time to wake up. Most of the days I would wake up when grandpa was ready to leave for work and he would smile and ask me to get up so that I can have breakfast. That’s when I would realize the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen.

Food was the best apart of staying in grandma place coz she will never be bored of cooking varieties of dishes for me. Apart from this you are always pampered by grandparents and you can get all what you want – loads of bikkis, chocolates, comics, toys, what not! My mom used to jokingly complain that her Dad had never been like this with her and my grandpa would laugh and reply that she was his daughter and not grand daughter!!! Grandchildren always have a special place in their heart!!!

Now coming back to the goodies, grandma would never tire and keep preparing one dish or the other to be served. Sometimes she would ask me what I want for evening snacks and sometimes it would be her choice. Just like her I would never get bored of savoring her dishes.

One day after a nap, I woke up to the wonderful fragrance of sesame seeds and immediately recognized that she had prepared my favorite Sevai and had made it with several flavorings.

There was plain sevai, Lemon Sevai, curd sevai, Sevai soaking in melted jaggery and of course the Ellu Sevai [sesame flavoured sweet sevai] that was giving out such a lovely aroma.

I don’t know how I was able to eat all the goodies that she prepared each day but I guess that made my grandma happy. I really miss those wonderful and lazy holidays.

My grandma is over 70 now but when she hears that we are coming there her she is always ready with an array of dishes and grandpa always jokes that grandma can suddenly find energy to cook so many varieties when she knows we are coming to visit her.

Now for the recipe. Ellu sevai can be prepared in a jiffy if you have plain rice sevai at hand..

You need:

1. Rice Sevai
2. Jaggery
3. Roasted Sesame seeds
4. Ghee

And the steps:

1. Spread the rice sevai on a plate.
2. In a mixer powder equal quantities of powdered jaggery and sesame seeds
3. Mix this powder with the rice sevai.
4. Drizzle generous quantity of ghee over the ellu sevai and serve.



You will definitely be taken off the ground by the wonderful aroma from the ghee and sesame powder.. I am drooling right now..

The quantity of jaggery and sesame seeds depends on the amount of rice sevai you are using and also on the personal taste. I like it with equal quantity of jaggery and sesame seeds while my mom prefers a less sweet version. So I leave it to your choice.

This breakfast dish is for my event Think Spice - Think Sesame Seeds!