Boiled Chocolate Frosting- Ermine
After I posted the vanilla version of boiled frosting I was asked about chocolate ermine frosting. I had a recipe for it, but had not made it in ages. It took me a while to find the recipe. I was so glad I still had it.
The frosting is creamy and full of chocolate flavor. Like the vanilla version, its not nearly as sweet at many other frostings. As an adult that is a great selling point for me. As a kid I loved a sweet frosting. Not so much anymore.
The frosting is made in two steps. A base is made with flour, cocoa, granulated sugar and milk. After the base is cooked and cooled, butter is beaten in, along with vanilla. The recipe makes enough for 24 cupcakes, but for a layer cake you might want to make another half batch or double the recipe. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!!
Chocolate Boiled Frosting- Ermine
5 Tablespoons flour
⅓ cup cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk or half and half
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium saucepan, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and sugar. Add milk, a little at a time. Whisk after each addition to avoid lumps. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture becomes a thick paste. It is important that you get it nice and thick at this point. It should be thicker than a pudding. Cool and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The mixture should be very thick at this point. Once the cocoa base you made is chilled, cream the butter in your mixer until smooth. Scoop the cocoa mixture into butter and add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whip on high speed for 7-10 minutes or until light and airy.
Frost your cake or cupcakes.
Notes: If your frosting is too soft, chill it for a bit and then whip it again.
If it is still too soft, add a little powdered sugar to stiffen it up. T You might need to cook your boiled milk mixture longer next time.
This recipe makes about 3½ cups of frosting which is enough to lightly frost a 2 layer 9 inch cake. It will also generously frost a 9×13 inch cake, 18-24 cupcakes, or an angel food cake. Recipe can be doubled.
Cooking with Ramps
If you haven’t tried ramps, you really don’t know what you are missing. Ramps are a member of the onion/allium family. They grow wild in wooded areas and are only around for about a month, during the Spring. They are sometimes called wild leeks or wild onions. Their flavor might best be described as a garlicky leek.
People have been foraging ramps forever. A recent increase in their popularity has put them at risk in some areas. Only pick ramps where it is legal to harvest them. Only purchase ramps from someone who you trust to harvest responsibly. While I love the bulbs, I often harvest just the leaves from them. That way the plants are not killed. I have also planted some of the harvested ramps and have had friends do the same, to start stands of them in new places.
I first had ramps when I was in college. We were on a weekend scavenger hunt for a biology class. One of my classmates came upon a stand of ramps. She explained to me what they were. We harvested a few and made soup out of them for dinner that night. Our professor, Dr. Peter Gail, was a forager and he showed us other wild edibles. This is where my love for foraging started.
So here are some of the ways I use my ramps.
Ramp Butter
Ramp butter is a wonderful way to preserve the ramps and a great way to prep them for use in all sorts of recipes. The recipe is pretty simple- ramps, mixed with softened butter, perhaps a little lemon zest and some salt, if desired. The butter is then put in small containers, or shaped into little logs and frozen. Whenever you want some ramp flavor in your cooking, you just spoon out or slice off a bit of ramp butter.
I don’t know that I have a hard and fast “recipe” for ramp butter. I can tell you how I make mine, though.
I like my ramp butter with lots of ramps in it. Ramp forward, if you will.
I mix equal parts of butter and ramps. You can add some salt to the mix, too. Use a food processor to get the mixture well mixed and to chop the ramps up. I divided the mixture into 6 or seven containers and threw all but one in my freezer. The last container is in my fridge, being used in all sorts of dishes.
Ramp Oil
The process is similar to making ramp butter, but you use oil instead of butter. I used a lemon infused olive oil and some avocado oil. I use those oils because I like the flavors, but also because they will freeze solid. For long term storage- ramp oil should be frozen. Any stored in the fridge should be used up in a week or two.
The uses are somewhat similar to ramp butter. You can use some of the ramp oil to make ramp pesto or ramp pasta. You can use it as a base for salad dressing. It is really good added to potato salads.
Prepare the ramps the same way you would for ramp butter. I placed the cleaned ramps in a food processor and added about a cup of oil to two cups of ramps. I ran the machine until the mixture was pretty smooth. Add a little more oil, if needed. The mixture should be thick, but pour-able. The flavor is intensely ramp. That is what I like. I can cut it down with other ingredients later on.
Salmon with Ramp Butter
2 salmon sides
salt
pepper
1 c. ramp butter
2 lemons, sliced thin
Place the salmon on parchment paper and season with salt and pepper. Spread ramp butter down the center of each salmon side. Use about 1/2 cup on each one. Place lemon slices on top of the ramp butter. Bake the salmon in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Rest 5 minutes before serving. Serves 16.
Pickled Ramps
4-5 c. ramp bulbs, some stem attached, if you like
2 c. cider vinegar
1½ c. water
1 c. sugar
2 T. salt
1 T. Tuscan seasoning*
Wash ramp bulbs well and remove any roots. In pot, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to a simmer. Cover pot and simmer 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour into a heat-proof jar. Cool a little, cover and place in fridge. You can eat the ramp pickles right away, but they taste even better if you wait a few days. Will keep in the fridge for a few months.
*Tuscan Seasoning
½ c. dried basil
½ c. dried oregano
½ c. dried marjoram
3 T. dried minced onion
2 T. dried minced garlic
2 T. dried rosemary
2 T. dried parsley
1 t. crushed red pepper
Combine all. Store in a cool, dry place. Use for any number of recipes, from marinara sauce, to salad dressings.
Creamy Ramp Soup
1 lb. ramps
1/2 large sweet onion such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Garnish:extra-virgin olive oil
Trim roots from ramps and slip off outer skins if loose. Cut green tops from ramps and coarsely chop enough greens to measure 3 cups (reserve remainder for another use). Thinly slice ramp bulbs, including pink stems. Cook ramp bulbs, onion, white pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add wine, then boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until evaporated completely. Add broth and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until onions and ramps are very soft, about 20 minutes. Stir in ramp greens and boil 1 minute.Working in batches, purée soup in a blender until very smooth, about 1 minute per batch (use caution when blending hot liquids), then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heatproof bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. Return soup to cleaned pot and bring just to a boil. Whisk in cheese and butter until smooth. Season with salt. Serves 4.
Chives: Cooking, Growing, Preserving
What’s not to love about chives? This allium family herb is an easy to grow perennial. With little effort, you will be rewarded with onion-flavored leaves and blossoms year after year.
When the chives are first up in my garden I want to use them in everything. They will be around all season, but that first Spring harvest is always my favorite.
Their delicate onion flavor goes well with so many dishes. I enjoy cooking with the blossoms, too. Anyplace you might use green onions, you can use chives. I add them to dips, salad dressings, soups, veggie dishes. You get the idea. Same thing with the flowers. Toss them in any dish where you want a mellow, onion flavor. I have a friend who likes to dip the blossoms in batter and deep fry them. Yum!!
Chive Crepes with Crab Filling
Chives add a pretty color and wonderful flavor when used in crepes. I made a crab filling, but you could fill them with any number of savory ingredients. This is a great dish for brunch, lunch or breakfast.
3/4 c. flour
1/8 t. salt
3 eggs, beaten
2 T. melted butter
3/4 c. milk, approximately
1/3 c. fresh chives*
Butter or oil for pan
In blender mix together flour, salt and eggs until smooth. Add butter, milk and chives and blend until batter consistency is that of cream. Let stand for 30 minutes before using, or can be refrigerated, covered, overnight. Mix well, just before using.
Heat 6 or 7 inch skillet. Brush with butter or oil and pour in about 2 teaspoons of batter, tipping pan to cover bottom of pan completely with batter. Cook until edges start to brown, turn over and cook until lightly browned (about 1-2 minutes per side.)
Crepes can be made day ahead or even frozen between sheets of waxed paper and frozen. Makes 12.
When ready to serve: Crepes can be filled ahead or guests can fill their own
* You can use other combinations of fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, cilantro.
Crab Filling – enough for 6-8 crepes
2 T. butter
1/2 c. minced onion
3 T. flour
1 c. milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (6-oz.) can crab meat, drained, or 1 c. cooked shrimp, if you prefer
1 c. shredded mild cheese, I used fontina
Chopped chives
Heat butter in skillet and cook onions until tender. Add flour and mix well. Stir in milk and seasonings and cook until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Stir in seafood and heat through. Spoon some of this mixture onto a crepe. Add some cheese and roll up. Garnish with chopped chives. Makes 6-8.
Chive Butter
I also like to make Chive butter. The recipe is pretty simple.
3 T. snipped chives
½ t. lemon zest
1/2 c. (1 stick) softened butter
Mix all ingredients until well combined. Chive butter can be stored in a jar, or wrapped in plastic wrap and chilled or frozen until ready to use. Good with fish, poultry, carrots, and potatoes.
Chive Blossom Vinegar
One of the ways I preserve my herbs every year, is by using them to flavor vinegar. It is easy to do and you’ll have great flavored vinegar to use all year round. You can use the vinegar in salad dressings or in marinades and sauces. Chive blossom vinegar is one of my favorites. I often use white wine vinegar but you can use red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or even white vinegar. The blossoms give the vinegar a beautiful color, too.
All you need is a clean jar, chive blossoms and vinegar (5% acidity). The acidity is listed on the label. For every cup of blossoms add 2 cups of vinegar to the jar. Close the jar and put it in a cupboard for a couple of weeks, or longer. When ready to use, strain out the blossoms. Pour the strained vinegar through coffee filters or layers of cheesecloth to get out any sediment. The end result is clear and quite pretty. Store in a cool, dark place for best color and flavor.
Freezing Chives
An easy way to preserve your chives is to freeze them. Take freshly washed and dried chives and chop them up. You can use a knife, scissors or food processor. Place the chopped chives on a tray or baking sheet and place in the freezer to harden a bit, before transferring to a freezer container or freezer bag. By pre-freezing them before packaging, you keep them from clumping up and freezing into a green lump.
Growing Chives
When growing chives, a sunny, well drained spot is preferred, but chives will tolerate some shade. They prefer to be in the ground, but I have chives that are in pots and thriving. I even have chives that popped up in one of my hanging baskets. They return every year.
Chives require little maintenance, but there is one annual clean-up job: stem removal. At first glance, chives looks like just leaves, but there are stems in there. Each purple chive blossom that appears in Spring is on a stem. While the stems are edible, they are also tough and woody, compared to the leaves. I like to remove the stems once the chives are finished blooming. Even in a large clump of chives, this job only takes about 5 minutes.
First, identify the stems. They either have a chive blossom on them- or they will have a brown tip from where the blossom was removed. When you touch a stem, you’ll be able to tell right away that it is tougher than the leaves. Pinch the stem between your fingers and run your fingers down to the base of the stem. Give a little tug and the stem pops right out. Repeat this with the rest of the stems. Kind of boring, but only take a few minutes. Once done, your plant will be all tender leaves.
Boiled Milk Frosting- Ermine
This is an old fashioned recipe that is getting popular again. It is sometimes called Ermine frosting. There is also a boiled frosting that uses water and sometimes corn syrup instead of milk. Both are good, I just like this version a little more.
It’s fairly simple to make and it is less sweet than a buttercream. It is creamy, fluffy and does not need to be refrigerated. It consists of a flour based base that is cooked, then cooled, to room temperature before butter is beaten into the base. The recipe makes plenty to frost a 2 layer cake or 2 dozen cupcakes. The recipe can be doubled easily.
Here is the recipe. Enjoy!!
Boiled Milk Frosting (Ermine)
5 T. flour
1 c. milk
1 c. granulated sugar
2 t. vanilla
½ t. salt
1 c. butter, cubed, softened at room temperature about 30 minutes
In small saucepan whisk together the flour, milk and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and gets bubbly. Cook over low heat another minute. Remove from heat and cool completely before finishing. I like to put the flour mixture in a bowl and putting in the fridge until cooled down, but not cold. Once flour mixture is cooled to room temperature beat in the vanilla, salt and butter with electric mixer until frosting is creamy and smooth.
Note: If you leave the base in the fridge too long and it gets cold, let it sit at room temperature 30 minutes before beating in the butter. If you are tinting the frosting, you can add color after the butter is fully incorporated.
Tahini Salad Dressing
I love this salad dressing. The combination of tahini, garlic and lemon juice really works. It is also very simple to make. Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. Think of it like peanut butter, but made with sesame seeds instead. I asked a few friends who do a fair amount of cooking, about how they cook with tahini. The answer was the same, they use it in hummus. That was about it. But tahini can be used in more dishes than just hummus or baba ghanoush. It can be the base for any number of sauces, dressings and dips. Tahini can be found in most larger grocery stores and in specialty stores. You can also make your own by combining sesame seeds with a little olive oil in a blender and mixing until smooth.
Tahini Dressing
1/3 c. tahini
1/3 c. water
1/4 c. lemon juice – or a bit more if using on fish or other seafood
2 garlic cloves, chopped or more
3/4 c. olive oil
Salt to taste
Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. You can also place all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and shake well to combine. Use on green salads or on fish dishes and falafel.
Note: Tahini is a sesame seed paste used a lot in Middle Eastern and African cooking. It can be found in specialty food stores and in some grocery stores. You can also make your own, in a pinch, by blending sesame seeds in a blender with a small amount of oil, and blend until smooth. I use olive oil. Store home-made tahini in the fridge or freezer to keep longer. I freeze in ice cube trays then pop them out when frozen and store the tahini cubes in bags in the freezer. I can just grab a cube or two as needed.
Flowers You Can Eat- and the Ones You Shouldn’t
When deciding which flowers to plant in your yard- why not plant flowers that are also edible? That way they do double duty. They make your yard look beautiful and they can make your food look beautiful, too.
I cook a lot with flowers. I often add them to salads, infuse vinegar and make jelly with them. You can also use them to decorate cakes or other desserts, in salad dressings and marinades, floating in tropical cocktails, in punch bowls and in ice cubes.
Flowers can also top off dips, cheese, fruit trays and other appetizers, be used to make teas, infused in honey or mixed with soft cheese and spread on crackers or toast. I candy violets every year.
Add some to baked goods like quick breads, cookies and muffins or in yogurt, cottage cheese or sorbet. Wherever your food needs a little color or flavor, flowers make it special.
Below are 2 lists- one of edible flowers- the other a list of flowers that are poisonous. I would be remiss if I didn’t caution you about flowers that are not edible. Be sure to get a positive identification of any flower before you eat it. Only eat flowers that have been grown pesticide free.
Some Edible Flowers
Calendula, Chives, Daylily, Mint, Nasturtium, Pansy, Rose, Sage, Signet Marigold, Squash Blossoms, Anise Hyssop, Apple, Arugula, Basil, Bee Balm, Borage, Broccoli, Chamomile, Chicory, Chrysanthemum, Coriander, Dandelion, Dianthus, Dill, Elderberry, English Daisy, Evening Primrose, Fennel, Garlic Chives, Hibiscus, Honeysuckle, Hyssop, Jasmine, Johnny-Jump-Up, Lavender, Lemon, Lilac, Linden, Magnolia, Marjoram, Mustard, Nasturtiums, Nodding Onion, Okra, Orange, Oregano, Pea, Pineapple Guava, Pineapple Sage, Radish, Red Clover, Redbud, Rose of Sharon, Roselle, Rosemary, Runner Beans, Sage, Safflower, Scented Geraniums, Shungiku, Society Garlic, Sunflower, Sweet Woodruff, Thyme, Tuberous Begonia, Tulip, Violet, Winter Savory, Yucca
Some Poisonous Flowers
Aconite, Anemone, Anthurium, Atamasco Lily, Autumn Crocus, Azalea, Baneberry, Black Locust, Bloodroot, Boxwood, Burning Bush, Buttercup, Butterfly Weed, Caladium, Call, Carolina Jasmine, Castor Bean, Cherry Laurel, Chinaberry, Christmas Rose, Clematis, Daffodil, Deadly Nightshade, Death Camas, Delphinium, Dogbane, Dumbcane, Elephant Ears, False Hellebore, Four O’clock, Foxglove, Gloriosa Lily, Golden Chain Tree, Goldenseal, Heavenly Bamboo, Henbane, Horse Chestnut, Horse Nettle, Hyacinth, Hyacinth Bean, Hydrangea, Iris, Ivy, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Jerusalem Cherry, Jessamine, Jetbead, Jimsonweed, Jonquil, Kentucky Coffee Tree, Lantana, Larkspur, Leopard’s Bane, Lily of the Valley, Lobelia, Marsh Marigold, May Apple, Mescal Bean, Mistletoe, Morning Glory, Mountain Laurel, Nightshade, Oleander, Periwinkle, Philodendron, Pittosporum, Poison Hemlock, Potato, Privet, Rhododendron, Rock Poppy, Schefflera, Spring Adonis, Spurge, Star of Bethlehem, Sweet Pea, Tobacco, Trumpet Flower, Water Hemlock, Wild Cherry, Wisteria, Yellow Allamanda, Yellow Oleander, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
Neither of these lists in meant to be complete. Most important of all is to be sure you can identify these plants. If you are unsure, plant identifications can be done at your local Extension office, garden center, nursery, arboretum and botanical garden. There are also apps you can download for plant identification. When in doubt, err on the side of caution.
How to Candy Violets – and Other Edible Flowers
This time of year, I always get requests about how to make candied violets. I thought I would share the recipe again.
Since my yard is full of violets right now, I decided to candy some today. It’s an easy way to enjoy these delicate flowers throughout the year.
I use them to decorate baked goods. Lovely on a cake, they also add a sweet touch to cupcakes. You can also candy just single petals of larger flowers, like roses. Just be sure to use flowers that have not been treated with pesticides. I use rose petals from my yard, never roses from a florist.
Candied Violets
Powdered egg whites (see note)
Water
Superfine sugar (see note)
Fresh violet flowers, rinsed and drained on paper toweling- Not African violets
Following package directions reconstitute egg whites to the equivalent of one or two egg whites. You can dilute them a little to make them easier to brush on. Place sugar in a shallow bowl. With a food-grade fine brush, coat a violet with the egg white and press into the sugar. Place on wax paper and repeat with remaining flowers. Allow to dry for about a week. Store in a container with a tight fitting lid in a cool place. I like to store them in the freezer.
Note: By using powdered egg whites, you remove the risk of salmonella from using raw eggs whites. Powdered egg whites can be found in some grocery stores and in cake decorating and candy making shops. Meringue powder can also be used.
Note: You can turn granulated sugar into superfine sugar by pulsing it in a blender or food processor a few times. You don’t want to make powdered sugar, you just want smaller crystals for your candied flowers.
Homemade Date Syrup
After a friend mentioned making date syrup it got me to thinking. I had read about date syrup before but never made it. I did have a big bag of dates at home, so I thought I would give it a try. The method is the same with slight variations on all the information I found when looking for directions. The dates are soaked and cooked in water to soften, then they are mashed or pureed, then strained. That’s pretty much it, but it wasn’t exactly that simple. I learned a lot after my first attempt that I will apply to the next time I make date syrup. There will definitely be another time.
This syrup is so tasty!!! The end result was really special. The syrup is a beautiful color and tastes wonderful. It can be used anywhere you might use any other syrup. Drizzle over pancakes, waffles or French toast for starters. You can also use date syrup in beverages, the way you might add honey or other sweeteners. I haven’t tried baking with it yet, but I have baked with maple syrup and honey so I see it have some real creative uses. I did add some to a salad dressing I made in place of a little honey and it added a nice sweetness. Would be a nice addition to a homemade barbecue sauce, too.
So here is the directions on how to make your own date syrup. A bit of work, but totally worth it!!
Date Syrup
1 lb. pitted dates
4 cups of water- plus more as needed
½ t. salt
In large pot bring the water and salt to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the dates. Let them soak in the hot water for 30 minutes or up to an hour. Return pot to the heat and cook the dates, covered, at a simmer for another 30-45 minutes. This partly depends on how dry/old your dates are. The softer they get, the better. Once they are cooled down a bit you can puree them. I used an immersion blender, so I pureed them right in the pot. You can puree in an blender, too. The mixture was so thick I added water to make the mixture the texture of thin applesauce. You have to boil extra water off later, but straining works better if the mixture is thinner. Once the date puree is cooled down enough to handle- it can be warm- but not hot you will want to strain it. I lined a large strainer with cheesecloth. I set it over a bowl and waited. Nothing happened. So I picked up the bag twisted the cheesecloth over the top and squeezed. Then it worked great. Liquid poured out in a steady stream. The harder you squeeze, the more syrup you will get. Dividing the mixture into two smaller batches would make it easier to work with. Once you have squeezed all the liquid out that you can place the syrup in a clean pot and start to simmer to reduce the volume until the syrup thickens to the desired thickness. Keep in mind, the syrup also thickens as it cools and even more when stored in the fridge. Watch it until it get to the viscosity you like in syrup. If you cook it down too much it will turn into a caramel, so better to stop and then cook down more if you want it thicker than to over reduce it. If it gets too thick, you can add more water to it. As it boils, skim foam off as it forms on the top. You can also drain cooked and cooled syrup though a fine strainer to remove any foam. you should end up with about 12-14 ounces of syrup. Store in the fridge and use in a few weeks.
The Pulp
When you get done squeezing you have this date pulp leftover. Some recipes suggest just tossing it, but I couldn’t get myself to do that. You can use it as a spread on toast but there was a fair amount of it. I knew I could never eat enough toast to use it all. I put it in an ice cube tray and froze it. Then I popped out the cubes and returned them to the freezer in a bag. Now I can use it in small amounts once I figure out what I want to do with it. I could see adding it to sauces or dressings.
Thanks, Beth, for the idea.
Asparagus and Yellow Split Pea Soup
I love asparagus and when it is in season I pretty much eat it every day. I love it just steamed with a little butter but it seems I end up using it in lots of stuff. Omelets, salads, stir fries and soup to name a few. Today I wanted a soup using yellow split peas but something more evocative of spring than winter. I cooked the split peas separately in salted water until just tender. That took about 25 minutes. The idea was to have peas with texture not peas that had cooked to mush. This is what I came up with. I was really happy with the soup- I think you might be, too. I did a vegan version but feel free to use chicken stock, if you prefer.
Asparagus and Yellow Split Pea Soup
1 c. yellow split peas, rinsed*
2 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 sweet pepper, any color, seeded and chopped- I used yellow
1 qt. vegetable stock- or whatever stock you like
1 lb. asparagus, bottoms trimmed
hot sauce to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Place peas in medium saucepan and cover with water. Add salt to taste. Simmer until tender, about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile heat oil in soup pot and cook onion until tender. Add the celery and peppers and continue cooking until they are tender. Drain peas and add to the pot along with the stock and bring to a simmer. Slice the asparagus into 1-inch pieces and reserve the tips. Place stems in the soup and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Add the tips and cook until they are just tender. The tips cook faster so I leave them out for the first few minutes the stems are cooking. Tenderness is a subjective thing, sometimes. I want the asparagus to still have a little “bite” to them. If you prefer them more tender cook as long as you like. Serves 3-4.
*Note: If you can’t find yellow split peas the green ones work fine, too. I just like the way the yellow worked with the green of the asparagus.
Cooking with Vadouvan Seasoning
I had heard of vadouvan seasoning for years but never remember having it before. I looked up the ingredients and the flavors appealed to me. It’s often called a type of curry flavor or seasoning. I’ve seen it also called Vadouvan curry powder. I’m not sure exactly how to describe it. Vadouvan certainly has a bit of heat and I would describe it as warm, but not hot. The combination of ingredients works so well together. I certainly see why it is described and curry-like. I was happy I tried it and see myself using it often.
I already had all of the ingredients, except fresh curry leaves. I ended up getting dried curry leaves for this batch with plans to get a curry plant later. From there it was just a matter of making a batch and seeing what I thought.
I was quite happy in the end. I made a larger version than a recipe I found online and I changed the amounts on a few of the ingredients. The version I made is listed below.
I’ve used the vadouvan on tofu -recipe follows-and chicken so far and I am sure I will be using it often. It would make a nice addition to most any vegetable dish, too. You could certainly make it salt free, if you prefer. I think I might with the next batch. It’s not salty at all, but if you like to control your salt intake, leave it out.
Vadouvan
1T. fenugreek seeds
2 T. cumin seeds
3 T coriander seeds
1 T. ground turmeric
40 curry leaves –use fresh or dried if using dried, do not toast
3 T. brown mustard seeds
2 T. dried chili flakes
1T. salt
2 t. black peppercorns- I used multi color
Place all Vadouvan spice mix ingredients into a heavy-based dry pan and toast until fragrant and just starting to steam. I had dry curry leaves so I added them to the warm spice mixture after toasted. Fresh leaves would have gotten to toasted, I fear. Allow to cool. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and finely grind. Transfer into a sealed container and use as needed. Makes ¾ cup. I store mine in the fridge, but you don’t have to.
Vadouvan Crispy Tofu
1 lb. firm or extra firm tofu- not silken type
3-4 T. cornstarch
1 or 2 T. vadouvan seasoning
½ t. salt
¼ c. oil
Remove tofu from the tub and cut into cubes. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and add the tofu. Simmer 10 minutes. Drain tofu in a colander, then lay cubes on a linen towel to dry off a bit more. Then place the cornstarch in a plastic bag with the vadouvan and salt. Shake the tofu in the bag, a handful of cubes at a time, to coat evenly with the cornstarch. Place prepared tofu in a bowl and heat oil in a skillet. Once the oil is hot, fry the tofu, turning until golden on all sides. I did this step in two batches. When you take the tofu out of the pan, place on a dish with paper towels to absorb any grease. Once all the tofu is cooked, serve with your choice of dipping sauce. I used a sweet chili sauce.
