chickpeas and purim

the jewish holiday of purim, or feast of lots, is almost here again — the last holiday before the big one of passover (which always coincides with the beginning of Spring). however as i look out the window at this past weekend's mountains of snow we received from our last major snowstorm, i wonder where Spring is hiding.

but i digress. back to my main point.....

celebrating the demise of Haman, an evil character who plotted to annihilate the jewish population in persia {now modern day iran}, jews commemorate this holiday with much merriment in a carnival-type way. children and adults dress up in costumes, attend synagogue services to hear the story retold as has been done for centuries. the synagogue service is very very loud as it is tradition to make noise, so as to obliterate the name of Haman every time he is mentioned. in israel, the whole country celebrates with parades and parties and it is probably one of the noisest holidays known to mankind! LOL.

besides a TON of symbolic foods eaten at the festive se'udath purim {feast}, traditionally a lot of sweets are enjoyed. many of them involve poppy seeds, sesame seeds, nuts & dried fruit and come in shapes that represent some upper body part of Haman or piece of his clothing. let's see..... his hair, eye(s), and ears make up several things we eat, not to mention recipes that are said to form items which represent his hat or pants.

as part of the story of purim involved one of the main characters, queen esther, eating a strict vegetarian diet during her stay in the palace so as to adhere to {kosher} dietary laws, some communities will serve dishes which involve using grains, lentils, beans and seeds to remember this fact. one such recipe comes from a friend of mine.

in the 1980s, daveed — who now lives in los angeles — daringly escaped from iran on his own while still a teenager. later, his other immediate family also made it out to start new lives in both israel and north america. daveed's mother is a great cook and baker who generously likes to give away many of the things that come out of her kitchen.

during purim she makes these, in addition to the following recipe for melt-in-your-mouth shirini-e nokhodchee which are tiny chickpea flour shortbread-ish cookies scented with rosewater and decorated with slivered pistachios. these clover-shaped cookies are typically iranian and well, not necessarily (sephardic) jewish. they are served by people of iranian descent and always baked for the Spring festival called no-rooz.

the chickpea flour used to make these is the iranian kind (nokhodchee) which ground from garbanzo beans which have been pre-roasted. as my friend's mother says, it's NOT the same thing as the indian kind called besan which is made from kala channa or small dark (black) chickpeas which is sold UNroasted. read here. i've never tried this with the indian kind so heed the caveat: "baker beware" — in other words, don't blame me if it doesn't work :o (you may just need to adjust the amounts of flour -- make sure to pan roast it briefly first). the other thing is that i haven't tried it with flour i've ground on my own so i can't vouch for that either ..... it just easiest to buy it. as for the small one inch clover shaped cookie cutter, you'll have to visit a store which sells iranian food products or order one online if you really want that shape. otherwise, just use a small cutter or cut very small one inch squares with a very sharp knife.

if it interests you, here are two videos about the remaining jewish community in iran today: part one & part two. à propos for purim - watch and you'll see why! :)



chickpea flour cookies
shirini-e nokhodchee

makes 30 small cookies

ingredients:

4-6 tbsp melted samneh* or margarine or oil (or more as needed)
5 tbsp finely ground regular sugar or icing sugar
1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1 - 2 capfuls rose water

1 c roasted chickpea flour (nokhodchee)
1 tsp poppyseeds, if wanted

slivered pistachios (directions here)

*samneh = clarified butter

method:

before starting, NEVER add water to the dough if it is not cohesive enough. add more oil or butter, little by little.

measure out the chickpea flour and sift it in a bowl at least twice. do not skip this step as the flour tends to clump.

in another bowl, place the samneh or melted margarine or oil with the cardamom and the icing sugar. DO NOT add the rose water yet.

mix the sugar, oil and cardamom until it is completely smooth.
then add the rose water and mix again.

the mixture will change colour at this point. if you add the rose water before, it makes the mixture clump up.

now add the chickpea flour, and poppy seeds if using, and stir or blend until you get a smooth mixture.

it shouldn't stick to your hands at all. knead it together for about 20 seconds or so until it is cohesive. you may need to add another tablespoon or two or three of oil depending on the quality of the flour you are using.

take the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface (with the chickpea flour) — i suggest doing it on a moveable surface like a chopping board as you will need to chill the dough before cutting it.

mold the dough into a rectangle or square which is almost 1 inch thick. this is very important to this recipe as the cookies are meant to be this way.

chill the block of dough for about 45 minutes. the cookies will cut nicely at this stage.

preheat the oven to 300F and have a cookie (baking) sheet ready with parchment paper or foil paper which has been very lightly greased.

take the cutter and cut out the cookies. the best way to do it is to place the cutter almost at the exact point where you cut the previous one so as not to loose much dough between cuttings.

recover the remaining scraps of dough and press them back into a block and cut again. repeat this until there is almost nothing left.

depending on the softness of your dough, the decorating part of these cookies will be easy to difficult. much depends on the chickpea flour you are using — sometimes the dough will feel denser; if it is then be gentle with this step.

in any event, the easiest way to add the pistachio is to make a little slit in the center of each cookie and very gently push it in until it stands on its own. you will invariably break a few of the pistachio slices as they are very fragile.

slice each pistachio into 4 slivers (or thereabout). see this post on how to do it.

bake the cookies for about 23 minutes. you may need to go longer.

they should colour slightly and the bottoms will be golden brown. do not overcook them and wait until they are fully cooled before trying to move them.

they are too delicate while warm.

enjoy!

takin' it off!

well, this won't be the most exciting post i've added to my blog but it is useful information {provided you need it!}.

buying shelled nuts, such as pistachios, is a two-way street. by that, i mean that they are typically quite a bit more expensive than unshelled ones due to the labour involved in decorticating them. some people don't mind paying more as it saves time, especially if you need many for whatever you're preparing.

if you only have a few to do, however, there is a very quick and fast way to remove the peel of pistachios. the same procedure can be done for other nuts like almonds but they take longer to process as the skin is thicker; mind you, they are just as easy to do. hazelnuts are a different procedure involving heating them and rubbing the skins off them. i have no patience for that so i'd buy those already prepared!


removing the skin from pistachios, almonds, etc...

"ingredients":

pistachios, almonds, etc.
boiling water


method:

place the nuts in an appropriately-sized heatproof bowl or dish.

pour boiling water over them to cover by about an inch or so.

let soak for about 15 to 20 minutes (if you are doing almonds let them soak for up to an hour and cover the dish or bowl).

take out one of the pistachios and inspect it to see if the skin has swelled and loosened.

if it has, start to break the skin with the nail of your finger and then peel off the skins.

place aside and rinse off the pistachios.

that's it! simple, easy and quick.

• n.b. if you are going to grind them finely you have to let them dry or you can speed the process in an oven set at 200 F. for about 15 to 20 minutes but keep an eye on them. they mustn't brown.
• if you are going to sliver or quarter them then this is the appropriate time to do it since they will be soft enough to slice cleanly. if they are dry, they will most likely shatter or disintegrate.

weekend pastries

these rich sweet pastries, served alongside strong turkish coffee or espresso, were always something i remember eating on weekends only. i guess they weren't considered everyday fare by us but rather a food to be enjoyed on those days when one did not have to work, when one took his/her time to appreciate things.

redolent of the flavours of the eastern mediterranean, tahinli are made with a butter and egg pastry dough and envelop a sweet filling made from sugar, t'hina paste and orange flower water. they are eaten especially in turkey, armenia and israel. like many {adopted} sefardi pastries and breads, this one is also in the shape of a rosca — or twisted (screw). it doesn't have to be twisted, however it does look much nicer if it is.

tahinli are fairly straightforward to make but if you're one of those pastry-challenged types, you may just want to look at the pictures and get someone else to make them for you! lol. if you do make them, try not to omit things like the mahlep and orange flower water from the recipe. it becomes less authentic and flavorful when you do.

this post has quite a few pictures because there are quite a few steps to it. some of the pictures are blurred and less than quality. you'll get the idea nonetheless....


tahinli
sesame paste filled pastries

yields 6 five inch pastries or 4 large ones

{Not really a beginner's recipe but give it a try!}

ingredients:

1 heaping teaspoon dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1/3 c. warm water

1/4 tsp salt
2 - 2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 - 1 tsp mahlep
2 tbsp unsalted butter or non-dairy margarine
1/4 c. milk (or soy milk or water)
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp oil or shortening (melted and measured)
1/8 tsp salt

2 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1/2 c + 2 tbsp tahina (sesame paste)
1/2 c sugar
2 tbsp oil or melted butter
2 tsp orange flower water

2 tsp finely chopped shelled pistachios per pastry (optional)
4 tbsp orange flower water for coating pastry

1 egg (for eggwash)
raw sesame seeds sugar (granulated or demarera)


method:

proof yeast with warm water and sugar.

set aside approximately 10 minutes.

in a pyrex 2 cup measuring cup (or small pan) heat the milk and melt the butter in it.

transfer this to a mixing bowl and add the oil or shortening, salt and sugar and mix well.

while still warm (not hot!) add the egg and yeast mixture and mix well with a whisk.

in another bowl, mix the salt, flour and mahlep.

add this to the egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until you get a dough.

the dough will be slightly sticky and depending upon humidity and measurement, you may need a bit more flour. start with the 2 cups and add more gradually while kneading.

remove the dough and knead the dough using/adding the extra 1/2 if needed. it will get less sticky as you knead more and after proofing.

once you have a nice dough, place it back in a greased bowl covered with plastic wrap.

put the dough in a warm area (inside a microwave works well) and let proof for approximately 2 hours (until doubled).

punch down the dough and place it on counter and knead it for a minute.

divide the dough in 4 to 6 pieces. Let the balls rest about 25 to 30 minutes.

after 15 minutes, place the tahina, sugar, oil, and orange flower water in a small bowl and mix well to incorporate. the mixture will be granular.

when the balls have proofed, start to shape the dough.

roll each ball one at a time into a disk between an 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Try to make them all the same size.

if making 4, it should measure about 11 or 12 inches — less if you are making 6 pastries.

then divide the tahina mixture evenly for each pastry, approximately 3 tablespoons each. spread this out VERY thinly almost to the edges.

if you like, sprinkle 2 - 3 tsp of finely chopped pistachios on each one.

roll each round fairly tightly all the way to the end.

pinch each end closed.

slowly and gently roll each pastry back and forth with your hands to extend it starting at the middle.

don't worry if small tears occurs. the final dough will be almost as long as from the tip of your fingers to your elbow.

(perhaps with a helper) twist the long strand of dough gently over and over again. don't overtwist or you will snap it.

once that is done, have 2 baking sheets ready either lightly greased or lined with parchment.

coil the pastry loosely from the center working outwards and tuck the very end underneath.

place equal amounts of finished pastry on each sheet. you need the space for the final rolling.

preheat your oven to 350 F.

let your pastries proof an extra half hour but you do not need to cover them tightly. just place a teatowel over them.

at this point, after proving, they may look strange with the centers popped up. that will be fixed with the rolling. don't worry about that if it happens (it probably will).

you may also notice small amounts of oil weeping from the pastry. this is normal too.

after about 15 minutes of waiting, beat the egg in a small dish and have a pastry brush ready.

measure out the 1/4 c. of orange flower water. have the sesame seeds ready in another bowl and some sugar in another.

now flatten each pastry with a rolling pin gently to half it's size (deflate it).

prick it all over with a fork to arrest its rising in the oven.

using a pastry brush wash the pastries with orange flower water all over. then use the egg wash.

sprinkle each pastry generously with sesame seeds and finally with sugar (it will make a nice crust when baked).

bake pastries for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

you may freeze the pastries (if you have any left!).

these taste great warm(ed).

enjoy!

friend and foe — a cat (& mouse) tale

well, after 2 1/2 hours of non-stop hardcore playing with a long lost friend (rediscovered hidden behind a bookshelf), the brown devil decided it was time for a nap. from the look of it, it's more of a coma! ;o

i've decided my cat is strange.

as a kitten, he developed a love-hate relationship with his mouse. he carries it around the house in his mouth, talks to it with little meows, and lays down on it to fall asleep. other times, he beats the cr*p out of it, growling at his long-tailed friend and throwing him the air with his mouth. one time i found him trying to bring it in the litterbox — i don't even want to know what he was going to do with it in there! i grabbed it away and hid it for two weeks.


as you can see from the picture, peace has been restored. poor mouse — ended up in the water bowl while being heavily assaulted by paws and jaws. i think my cat finally realized the moral of the story: wet mice don't slide well on wood floors ;))