Register

Test Kitchen

For all refugees from the old Beeb Food Boards :-)
Chill out and chat with the foodie community or swap top tips.
NOTE: CHATTERBOX IS IN THIS FORUM

Moderators: karadekoolaid, THE MOD TEAM, Stokey Sue, Gillthepainter

Posts: 456
Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2020 6:59 am

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby Kacey » Thu Aug 19, 2021 10:23 pm

Got caught up last night but here it is:-

Lime & Coconut Dhal from Spicebox by Grace Regan

200g Red lentils
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
A thumb sized piece of ginger
1 green chilli split lengthways (I use 2)
75ml coconut milk
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
10 fresh curry leaves (I keep mine in the freezer and use them from frozen)
1 tsp garam masala
2 limes - zest and juice of 1 and the other cut into wedges to serve
Salt
Toasted coconut flakes
A handful of chopped coriander

Put the rinsed lentils into a large pan along with 600mls water, the turmeric, garlic, ginger, chilli, 1/2 tsp salt and bring to the boil. Simmer till cooked then add the coconut milk and remove from the heat,
For the temper, heat the oil in a small pan, add the mustard seeds and when they begin to pop add the curry leaves and once they've crisped up a little, add the garam masala and fry for 1 minute. Add the temper to the dhal, add a generous pinch of salt, stir through the lime zest and juice and taste for seasoning.
Serve with the toasted coconut flakes, the coriander and the lime wedges.

We eat a lot of dhal and this is currently one of my favourites. It's delicious for breakfast on toasted crusty bread.

Posts: 886
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2020 11:38 pm

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby ZeroCook » Thu Aug 19, 2021 11:47 pm

.
That looks great Kacey. Thanks a lot - been a but busy myself so just seen this. Will definitely do it. Might have to make some bhajis n raita too - it's been a while :D

User avatar
Posts: 2236
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2018 4:03 pm

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby Sloe-Gin » Fri Aug 20, 2021 12:58 pm

I usually make dhal makhani, but trying something new tonight - Mowgli red lentil and spinach dahl. Will report back.

Posts: 3511
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:42 pm

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby KeenCook2 » Fri Aug 20, 2021 7:26 pm

Kacey, that looks great!

We don't have any coconut oil - do you think that would matter?

Posts: 456
Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2020 6:59 am

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby Kacey » Sat Aug 21, 2021 10:39 am

Won't make a jot of difference. I'm running low on coconut oil so have subbed vegetable oil in most recipes and you really can't tell.

User avatar
Posts: 2236
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2018 4:03 pm

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby Sloe-Gin » Sat Aug 21, 2021 10:44 am

The red lentil and spinach dahl was deemed a hit.
https://app.ckbk.com/recipe/mowg93266c0 ... inach-dahl

Posts: 886
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2020 11:38 pm

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby ZeroCook » Mon Aug 23, 2021 7:56 pm

.
Was going to say that there's an access wall there, so couldn't see the recipe, S-G.

Two Fuchsia Dunlop recipes from The Food of Sichuan - Home Style Tofu and Crossing the River Sum Choy, served with plain boiled rice.

Had leftovers for lunch - took pics in better light

Made the Tofu pretty much as per recipe. Less chili bean paste as Mr0 complained about the heat last time I used it in a dish. Definitely a keeper.

Quick braised the baby bok choy rather than boiled and only put one teaspoon instead of two into the dipping sauce but upped it for lunch - great sauce. Hot salty sour pungent.

Everything in the recipes is pretty spot on. Very recommended.

Included in these tofu dishes reviewed by Nigel Slater
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... ean%20curd

Home Style Tofu
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gtirtq5q5bylm ... .docx?dl=0
Crossing the River Sum Choy
https://www.dropbox.com/s/krxjnkm30sz7n ... .docx?dl=0




Image

Posts: 886
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2020 11:38 pm

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby ZeroCook » Sat Sep 11, 2021 1:21 am

.

Wanted to say - made the dhal recipe Kacey - very tasty it was too :D


Shout out for DIY vinegar info - I know some people make their own, although from wine, if I recall. Would be interested in that too.

Recently tried making Diana Kennedy's Mexican pineapple vinegar. It fermented ok after a couple of days as per recipe. I then just left it as is for a number of weeks. No vinegar mother visible on top. Recipe doesn't mention taking out the fruit skins at that point, but perhaps should have? Or would they be strained off at the end with everything else as mentioned? Appeared to go mouldy on top - looks like the white yeast mould that can sometimes appear on ferments, but it is a bit gelatinous, although DK says the vinegar mother will be like a disc. I haven't tossed the brew as it might possibly be part of the process tho I think possibly not. The liquid is sour.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uiip3jd09xqbs ... .docx?dl=0


Image

User avatar
Posts: 8629
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 2:02 pm
Location: Stoke Newington, London

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby Stokey Sue » Sat Sep 11, 2021 1:41 am

I couldn’t read the recipe in Dropbox but I found this version

http://www.edibleaustin.com/index.php/c ... recipe/220

She does strain out the peel after a while but comments in the blog post that the vinegar mother doesn’t form for a long time after that

I’ve never bothered making vinegar as I don’t much like it, but I was quite tempted by the beautiful stoneware vinegar pots (vinaigriers) the French cousins had, just looked at some pictures, you’d need to make a lot to justify the cost, unless you wrote it off as a piece of kitchen sculpture

User avatar
Posts: 3919
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:33 pm

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby scullion » Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:41 am

i make both red and white wine vinegar.
my vinegar mothers are not like that, i must say.
the photo does make it look like mould rather than the rather thicker, quite solid, 'gel' layer (rather like a firm agar plate) that sinks if you disturb it (another forms on the surface - you can end up with quite a few layers in the bottom of the jar)) - the red wine ones look rather placental.
i would also be a little concerned about the 'do not cover' instruction. i would have put a mesh cover over to keep out the fruit flies.
my 'vinaigriers' were very inexpensive. the white wine one was thrown by me and the red wine one is a big old lidl olive jar which i drilled and ground a hole in, fitted with stainless steel spigots that i bought online (cheap from china...). they are both covered by a couple of layers of netting held on with a rubber band. i do put saucers over the top of the jars but i would imagine your pineapple one would need to be able to catch the appropriate wild yeast/bacteria so i imagine that is the level of 'don't cover' your recipe asks for. the fruit (vinegar) flies may bring those in with them but they may also bring in stuff you don't want - and i find drowned flies rather unappetising! (my method of eliminating fruit flies is to put a little vinegar, with a drop of washing up liquid, in a jar with a tiny hole punched in the lid).
i saw a proper vinaigrier in a charity shop in wantage last tuesday for £20 - if anyone is in the area...

Posts: 886
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2020 11:38 pm

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby ZeroCook » Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:14 am

.

Out and about all WE, just getting round to replying. Yes, fruitflies - I had the lid on but they still got in. Thought they might get filtered out.

That's a good link, Stokey - thanks. Must read up about the science and biology of vinegar making. DK's a bit vague.

Scullion - thanks for all that. Lots to think about. - apparently the vinegar mother is very distinctly disc shaped and gelatinous and is what changes the alcohol into acetic acid. I've seen earthenware water coolers with lids and spigots that look similar that might work, and a few proper earthenware vinegriers along with pairs of lids on ebay and elsewhere for silly prices.

Yes, almost certainly it's kahm yeast or similar, which isn't toxic but can add an unwanted flavour. Common in hot weather I've read, and does appear from time to time on other ferments that I make. I've made very alcoholic pineapple ferments before but not had the kahm yeast appear.

Got another pineapple and will try again. I'm also very interested in making wine and other vinegars, so we shall see. I seem to have got the lacto fermentation pretty dialed in, and do a lot of that, so now will see if I can get the vinegar process working.

Wish I was a stone's throw from Wantage for that vnaigrier, but hey ho. I might come across something now that I have it in mind. :D

I take it the spigot is positioned close to but not actually on the bottom for decanting vinegar as needed without disturbing the sediment and the rest of the liquid.

User avatar
Posts: 2152
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 2:38 pm

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby PatsyMFagan » Mon Sep 13, 2021 9:55 am

Zerocook, if you are on Facebook, there is a very interesting group called 'UK Fermenting Friends' with lots of advice on all kinds of fermenting -sour doughs, vinegars, ferments of all kinds of fruit and veg, kombucha, kefir and other stuff I have never heard of. The admins are very experienced and with a wealth of knowledge and advice ... I only got as far as making Kefir :roll: :oops: ;)

User avatar
Posts: 3919
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:33 pm

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby scullion » Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:21 am

ZeroCook wrote:apparently the vinegar mother is very distinctly disc shaped

i think that may be only true if the profile of your jar is round. my kombucha scoby was more oblong/ovate as it was made in an old sweet jar.
with wine vinegar you don't always have a vinegar mother. mine came from IaninFrance, with no scoby, just a small bottle of his vinegar, some years ago.
it has 'lost' the scoby a couple of times due to my actions but returns after a while. i have also had a whole jar full of scobys grow when i used up a bottle of a sweet white german desert wine - it really liked it - to the point that i got very little vinegar from it.
the mother is a very firm gel - not like jelly - more leathery - hence the ability to sew it into clothing

Posts: 886
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2020 11:38 pm

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby ZeroCook » Mon Sep 13, 2021 3:56 pm

.
Thanks for that, Pat - will check it out. Never made kefir but make yogurt sometimes. Bought my sis some kefir starter things off ebay a few years ago but I think they bit the dust on her fridge due to non use :lol:

Wow, very interesting fabric link indeed, Scullion.
Speaking of kombucha, I've seen kombucha making jars online - am guessing they'd work fine for vinegar, too - they often have spigots too.

Ok, so quest for producing possible scoby.

They seem to like sweet alcoholic liquids :D Curious - did the sweet wine simply not turn to vinegar even tho the scoby grew?

User avatar
Posts: 2152
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 2:38 pm

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby PatsyMFagan » Mon Sep 13, 2021 8:50 pm

I buy kombucha from my farm shop ... I can't bear the thought of making it as the Scoby thingy makes me heave at the thought of handling it :vomit

Also bought Sauerkraut and Kimchi recently ... still learning to like them :roll:

Posts: 886
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2020 11:38 pm

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby ZeroCook » Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:54 am

.

:lol: :lol:

I've never had kombucha, I like sauerkraut now and then and I like and make kimchi a lot :D

There's an idea around that fermented foods are especially healthy or "good for you", so "should be eaten" .

User avatar
Posts: 2152
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 2:38 pm

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby PatsyMFagan » Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:19 am

Yes ... improves the gut biome they say :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup

User avatar
Posts: 8629
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 2:02 pm
Location: Stoke Newington, London

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby Stokey Sue » Tue Sep 14, 2021 10:51 am

Yes fermented foods can add diversity to the biome but some professionals think you can overdo taking a single bacterial type, particularly the lactobacter supplements such as Activia or Yakut

The idea is that it’s a bit like farming, a healthy biome contains thousands of different bacteria, in the same way as a natural meadow or forest has many species but if you add lots of one kind of seed you end up with a monoculture

This is one of those things that’s not fully understood, but it makes sense to me

Posts: 2386
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 8:12 pm

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby liketocook » Mon Oct 04, 2021 6:57 pm

I have rather a lot of small yellow tomatoes just about ripe which I'm thinking of pickling. I've found this Nigel Slater recipe which appeals https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/pick ... toes_56805 but wondered if the red wine vinegar might spoil their colour and if white wine vinegar might be better to preserve the colour? Any thoughts?

User avatar
Posts: 8629
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 2:02 pm
Location: Stoke Newington, London

Re: Test Kitchen

Postby Stokey Sue » Mon Oct 04, 2021 7:08 pm

It also contains malt vinegar which in the UK contains a lot of caramel, so it's going to be dark either way, I think the tomatoes will probably be ok when removed from the liquid

Indebted to Tom Kerridge for convincing me that real malt vinegar is a good thing, quite unlike the chip shop condiment based on spirit vinegar

PreviousNext

Return to Food Chat & Chatterbox

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 23 guests