Gourmet Sunday

I was bitten by the cooking bug yesterday. Adventurous cooking has always been a kind of therapy for me – it’s easy to lose oneself in a pile of garlic and spices, I find. And for the past week, I’ve been waiting for a chance to get lost. Work has been crazed of late as we prepare for our first hosted trade show since 1999. This year’s Oktoberfest will feature four new machine prototypes: one drill, two torches, and a plate machine with two torches and an eight-spindle tool changer, and all of them impressive. There will be beer, bratwurst and sauerkraut, Bavarian bands, Lou Holtz, software vendors, sparks, steel, more testosterone than you can shake a stick at, and Barenaked Ladies.

So you can see why I took Sunday to separate myself from all of this for a while and get into some fabulous food. It all turned out better than I could have anticipated – the Chaamp Masala was creamy, rich, and spicy, and the Paratha crispy and perfect for scooping up the spare sauce (this is a great, quick alternative to the more substantial Na’an served with Middle Eastern dishes). And with the Galette, I finally achieved the flaky crust that every good pastry deserves. All in all, a highly successful day.

Chaamp Masala

Serves 6-8


1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons peeled and coarsely chopped garlic
6-8 lamb chops, well trimmed of fat
1 medium-large tomato, grated or finely diced
2 medium onions, minced
1/2 tablespoon cayenne
12 oz. Greek yogurt, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds
2 teaspoons garam masala
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh green coriander (optional)

1. Place the ginger and garlic in a blender with 2-3 tablespoons of water. Blend to a smooth paste.
2. In a large skillet, combine the chops, tomato, onions, cayenne, yogurt, salt, and ginger-garlic paste, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Turn the heat to low; cover the skillet and let the contents simmer for 50 minutes or until the chops are almost cooked.
3. Add the cumin seeds and simmer for 10-15 minutes more, until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick. Add the garam masala and lemon juice, and stir thoroughly.
4. Sprinkle with fresh coriander, and serve with rotis, paratha, or rice.


Plain Paratha

Makes 8 pieces


3 1/2 cups Atta (or whole-grain wheat flour)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chilled Ghee (or vegetable shortening)
1 1/4 cup water
Melted Ghee (or butter) for frying

1. Sift Atta and salt in a large bowl. Thoroughly cut in the ghee until the dough is crumbly. Gradually add the water and knead the dough until it is fully combined. Gather the dough into a ball, and cover it with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
2. Divide the dough into 8 parts, and roll each part into a ball. Roll out each dough ball on a floured surface to make a 6” round disc about 1/8” thick.
3. Bring the Tawa (non-stick griddle) to medium heat. Pull a small piece of dough from one of the discs, and place it on the griddle. If the griddle is at the correct temperature, the sample should develop brown spots on the underside in about 30 seconds.
4. Place a paratha on the griddle for 45 – 60 seconds. Lift a corner of the paratha with a spatula – the underside should have a few brown spots. Flip the paratha and cook another 45 – 60 seconds. Baste the top cooked surface with melted ghee. Flip the paratha again, and cook the newly basted surface for another 45 – 60 seconds, and baste the top surface with melted ghee. Flip the paratha one more time, and cook for another 45 – 60 seconds.
5. Keep the cooked paratha in a warm oven until you have cooked all the paratha. Serve warm and fresh.


Peach Blueberry Galette

Serves 6


1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tsp sugar
2/3 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
6 tbsp vegetable shortening, chilled
3 tbsp ice water
3 peaches, cut in 1/4" wedges
1/2 pint blueberries
1 egg yolk
2 tsp heavy cream
Sliced almonds

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the chilled butter, and then the chilled shortening, until well-combined but still crumbly. Gradually add the ice-cold water, tossing the dough with a fork to moisten. Briefly and gently knead the dough to form a ball. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Place sliced peaches in a bowl, add 2 tbsp of sugar, and toss. In a separate bowl, combine blueberries and 1 tbsp of sugar. Add or subtract from the amount of sugar at your discretion.
3. Preheat the oven to 425 F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 12” circle, about 1/8” thick. Gently lift and place the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment.
4. Starting about 1 1/2” from the edge, place peach slices in two layered circles. Add the blueberries to the center and scatter a few decoratively over the peaches.
5. Fold over the dough edge so that it covers the outer edge of the fruit. Sprinkle a small handful of sliced almonds over the fruit. Whisk the egg yolk and cream together, and brush this mixture over the exposed crust. Sprinkle the galette and crust with sugar.
6. Bake the galette until browned, about 20 – 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Loosen the edges and center of the galette from the parchment with a spatula. Lift the galette and parchment with support from a wide spatula or cake lifter, and carefully slide the galette onto a cooling rack or platter. Serve warm with a dollop of crème fraiche or whipped cream.