Sunchoke Chips

After Sophie Charlotte Elisabeth Ursinus married an elderly privy councilor at the age of nineteen, she enjoyed the upper class privileges of Prussia for decades, until her fate changed on the evening of March 5^th 1803. While she was hosting a card game at home, police stormed in and arrested her. The trial that followed shook Berlin. No longer did “Lotte” draw attention as a well-dressed widow, a pietist and a poet, but as a serial killer.

A scientist Valentin Rose was an expert witness on the trial. He submitted a report stating he was unable to prove that Madame Ursinus had poisoned any of the victims – Officer Rogay (her lover), her husband, or her aunt. The suspicion, though, was overwhelming. When Benjamin Klein, a servant and a murder attempt survivor, stepped forward to testify that his mistress had served him a bowl of prunes she had first marinated in arsenic, Mrs. Ursinus was convicted and sent to prison. Although pardoned thirty years later, she failed to recover her social standing, and died alone.

After the trial, Valentin Rose became obsessed with developing a method of detecting arsenic in the body. He succeeded in 1806 but, before the breakthrough, he discovered another peculiar – yet less harmful – substance, inulin, while distilling horse-heal extract in his laboratory.

Inulins are dietary fibers that occur naturally in many plants, such as agave, banana, garlic, asparagus, chicory, wheat, onion and sunchoke. Inulin acts as an energy reserve and regulates the cold resistance of these plants.

Enzymes in the human alimentary system, designed to metabolize starch, cannot digest inulin which is a different kind of complex carbohydrate, called fructan or a polymer of fructose molecules. It passes through the upper gastrointestinal track all the way to the colon where the local flora feasts on it. If you have ever thrown such a party in your hindgut, you know it releases a lot of carbon dioxide, hydrogen and methane – to put it politely. John Goodyer, an English botanist, says it more bluntly in John Gerard’s Historie of Plants from 1621: “which way so ever they be dressed and eaten, they stir and cause a filthy loathsome stinking wind within the body, thereby causing the belly to be pained and tormented, and are a meat more fit for swine than men.” Although he referred to sunchokes, the phenomenon applies to all inulin-contained foods.

Native Americans, long before Europeans arrived, cultivated sunchoke tubers and used them as root vegetables. When the early colonists learnt that these underground nubs were edible, they sent seeds back to the Old World. Now Jerusalem artichoke (another name for sunchoke) is a popular crop around the continent. Pleasing to harvest, each root can produce hundreds of tubers a year!

Despite the name, Jerusalem artichoke doesn’t hail from Jerusalem, nor is it a close relative of artichoke (although the two have a similar – sweet and nutty – taste). Italian settlers in America called it girasole, which in Italian means a sunflower. If you twist your tongue, you may hear how “Jerusalem” and “girasol” sound alike. Some other names are French potato, topinambour, lambchoke, sunroot and earth apple. How can such an ugly lump have so many names?

You can substitute sunchokes for potatoes in some recipes. The two have a similar consistency and texture, and become mushy when boiled. However, introduce sunchokes in small doses to your diet, and examine how you react to them. If you are sensitive to fructose, your body may respond in a more hostile way. The zero glycaemic index of sunchokes offers no solace if you have to suffer from gastric pain and flatulence!

SUNCHOKE CHIPS

The ingredients for the chips:

Sunchoke tubers

Little olive oil

Himalayan salt

Cayenne powder

The method:

Wash the tubers carefully. You don’t have to peel them if they are young, and organically grown. Slice them very thinly, either with a sharp knife or mandolin.

Sprinkle very little olive oil on the slices and rub it in.

Roast the slices in a hot oven (225 C / 400 F) until they are golden on both sides. You may have to turn them during the process.

Add salt and cayenne before serving the chips (with tomato chutney, for example).

Thank you.

Harvest Lunch

The ground is hidden under a golden quilt of fallen leaves and the landscape is painted with colours. Admiring the beauty of the withdrawal season, autumn, makes me count the blessings. There is so much wealth in life, in and around us.

Money and fame are what most people are driven by. In these days, success is measured by ownership to assets and riches. However, life is but a cycle of seasons and by the time we reach autumn and winter, designations we have clung to will be stripped away. Why to complicate things when living? Why not be grateful for whatever comes on our way, without urge to control and lord it over. What is the point of becoming visible in the eyes of the world, if we lose the sight of truth while racing it?

There is so much opulence available for free: knowledge, wisdom, simplicity, peacefulness, honesty, cleanliness, tolerance, forgiveness, satisfaction, gentleness... Wealth is a state of mind, an attitude of acceptance and gratitude. There is plenty of beauty and magnificence to experience. We don’t have to own the sunrise or its twilight dance on the frosty fingertips of twigs and trees in order to be content. It is enough that we live and breathe. Being is more important than becoming or having been.

I am a thankful cook with the colourful gems of harvest goods under my care: Jerusalem artichokes, potatoes, pumpkins, chestnuts, herbs, purple cauliflowers, mangold, kale and freshly milled spelt. All of them are earthly tasting ingredients that tribute to the generosity of nature. I will offer them back by cooking with devotion, uttering a prayer and enjoying the remnants. The wealth of heart – faith, values and qualities – are the only ones we take along when the winter ends. They will sprout again in the spring.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE SOUP

6 big potatoes, in small cubes

½ kg Jerusalem artichokes, in small cubes

½ kg mangold or Swiss chard, chopped

1 coconut, grated (a spice mill does the job well)

Ghee/oil

Grated ginger

Bay leaf (tejpata)

Hing

Black pepper

Dry-roasted fennel, coarsely powdered

Ground coriander

Whey/water/vegetable stock

Salt

Fresh herbs

Heat up the ghee, sauté the ginger and bay. (Remember to squeeze out and save the ginger juice for a later use).

Add the hing and black pepper, sauté for a moment.

Add the potatoes and artichokes; let them get a bit colour.

Add the chopped mangold and coconut.

Add enough whey that the vegetables are well covered.

Add fennel, coriander and salt.

Bring to boil and let simmer until the vegetables are soft.

Take out the bay leaf.

Make it smooth with a hand blender.

Add whey if necessary to reach the consistency you want.

Add the ginger juice and fresh herbs.

FRIED CAULIFLOWER

A purple cauliflower
Ghee/oil
Hing
Cayenne
Curry-powder
Salt

Cut the cauliflower into thin slices.
Heat up the ghee on a frying pan.
Sprinkle the spices and add cauliflowers in a single layer.
Flip them over when nicely browned.

Place the spicy cauliflowers on the top of the soup.

PARATHA WITH THREE FILLINGS

Of the bread, the yeastless ones are the best. Freshly made parathas guarantee the happiness of palate and heart. They are fragrant and tasty.

Parathas can be made with or without a filling. There are many ways to roll them out. When layered with ghee, they become flaky pastries.

PARATHA (10 breads)

1 litre wholegrain spelt (you can substitute part of it with white flour if you want a lighter and more pliable dough)
½ tablespoon salt
100 ml melted butter/ghee
About 3 – 350 ml warm water
Extra flour for dusting
Ghee for frying

Mix the flour and salt.
Add thebutter and rub it in well.
Add the water and knead until you get a smooth, medium-stiff dough in a shape of a ball.
Cover and let stand at least 15 minutes.
Divide into 10 parts.
Roll them into balls and cover with a damp cloth.
Take one ball at the time, flatten it a little with your hands and form a shape of a cup.
Place a spoonful of filling in the purse.
Collect the edges and seal the filling in.
Flatten a bit with your hands.
Roll out carefully with the help of flour into a flat disc.
Brush a hot griddle with ghee.
Place the paratha on the griddle and fry for about a minute or two.
Drizzle little ghee on the edges and on the top.
When it has cooked for about 2-3 minutes and there are dark spots on the bottom, flip the paratha over.
Drizzle with little ghee again.
Cook for about 2 minutes.
When the paratha is puffed and crisp, remove it from the griddle (you can encourage puffing by pressing it gently with a spatula).
Repeat (if you make a larger amount, you can use simultaneously 2-3 griddles to fry them).

POTATO FILLING

Ghee

Finely grated ginger

Indian bay leaf

Fresh chilli (finely chopped)

Hing

Boiled potatoes, mashed

Coarsely ground dry-roasted jeera (cumin)

Ground coriander

Turmeric

Salt

Brown sugar

Lemon juice

Fresh coriander

Heat up the ghee.

Add grated the ginger (squeeze the juice out before adding it. Save the juice and add it to the ready filling) and bay leaf.

Fry until the ginger turns light golden colour (mix with the spatula all the time).

Add fresh chilli.

Add hing.

Add the potatoes, jeera, coariander, turmeric, salt and sugar.

Fry for a moment until the potatoes and spices are nicely mixed.

Remove from the stove.

Add a squeeze of lemon juice, the collected ginger juice and fresh herbs.

Let the filling cool before stuffing the parathas.

Take out the bay leaf.

A tip: In a filling I like to use as little whole spices as possible. It should not be crunchy or the spices detectable. By coarsely grinding jeera, you can make it less prominent. Some structure may remain there, it doesn’t have to be pulverized.

KALE & PANEER FILLING

Ghee

Finely grated ginger

Hing

Black pepper

Finely chopped kale

Ground coriander

Turmeric

Dry-roasted, ground fenugreek

A little bit water or whey

Paneer (fresh cheese)

Salt

Blacksalt

Fresh coriander

Heat up the ghee.

Add grated the ginger (squeeze the juice out before adding it. Save the juice and add it to the ready filling).

Fry until the ginger turns light golden colour (mix with the spatula all the time).

Add hing and black pepper.

Add kale, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek powder and mix well.

Add a bit water and let it simmer until the kale is cooked (5-10 minutes).

Add fresh paneer, salt, black salt and mix well.

Remove from the stove and fresh herbs.

A tip: You can make paneer by boiling 3 litres of milk and adding 1 litre kefir, sour milk or yoghurt. When the curd separates, sieve and drain it. Save the whey for cooking.

PUMPKIN FILLING

Ghee

Finely grated ginger

Hing

Black pepper

Grated pumpkin

Grated coconut

Coarsely ground dry-roasted jeera (cumin)

Ground coriander

Cinnamon, clove and cardamom powder

Turmeric

Cayenne

Salt

A little bit water

Fresh coriander

Heat up the ghee.

Add the grated ginger (squeeze the juice out before adding it. Save the juice and add it to the ready filling.)

Fry until the ginger turns light golden colour (mix with the spatula all the time).

Add hing and black pepper.

Add the pumpkin and grated coconut, let it fry for a moment mixing well.

Add the rest of the spices and a bit of water.

Mix well, let simmer until the pumpkin is soft (about 5-10 minutes).

Remove and let it cool.

Add the fresh herbs.

 SANDESH WITH CHESTNUT CREAM

In sandesh the qualities of goodness manifest in a perfect proportion. It is rich, juicy and sweet, but not too sweet. The silky, smooth and freshly made cheese that melts in the mouth is the essence. Many delicious confections are made with cheese: rasgulla, rasmalai, malai chum chum... but the humble sandesh is the best of all. It is unpretentious and pure.

In the unorthodox kitchen of spontaneity, I’ve taken the liberty to simplify the uncomplicated recipe even more. Sandesh, or part of it, is usually slowly and carefully cooked on a frying pan to incorporate sugar and to make it glossy. I skip the step. I find it unnecessary if powder sugar is used. If done inattentively, it can cause more harm than good. If you have tasted grainy and dry sandesh, you know what I’m talking about.

Sandesh is wonderful even without added flavours. Popping it into the mouth feels probably like a baby-calf feels when reaching the mother’s udder for the first time. Joyous! To make it more sophisticated vanilla, cacao or carob, cardamom, lemon zest, rose-water and other complimenting tastes can be added. I like to use saffron myself.

Because I had fresh chestnuts at hand, I cooked them into a puree and made chestnut-cream to fill some of the sandesh with. Ooh, they were excellent! My husband called them “malai yum yum” (malai meaning cream)!

For the decoration I mixed nuts and raisins with a spoonful of honey in the blender and rolled them into balls. It is a healthy snack. However, I don’t recommend combining it with sandesh. It has a strong, overpowering taste that covers the subtlety of sandesh. If you have several sweets to serve at the same meal, always start with sandesh. It is so sublime that any other sweet taste will diminish the experience.

SANDESH

1 part fresh cheese (paneer)

1/3 to ½ part powder sugar

A pinch of saffron dissolved in a drop of hot milk

(Cardamom powder – optional)

Let the paneer drain in a sieve for an hour. It should be fairly dry, but not too dry. Knead the cheese as well as you can on a clean counter. You can use a blender to do the job, it does it very well! The smoother the cheese, the better the sandesh will be. It is cruisal to get it as grainless as possible.

Knead in the sugar. The volume varies from the half of the amount of cheese to the third of it, depending how sweet you want it to be.

Add the flavourings if you use some.

A tip: You can make paneer by boiling 3 litres of milk and adding 1 litre kefir, sour milk or yoghurt. When the curd separates, sieve and drain it. Save the whey for cooking.

CHESTNUT PUREE

½ kg chestnuts

400 ml milk

120 ml (about) raw sugar

1 tablespoon carob

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons paneer

CHESTNUT CREAM

1 dl chestnut puree

1 dl cream and a bit of sugar and vanilla to go with it

Cut a cross on the round side of the chestnuts.

Boil them in water for 20 minutes.

Peel them.

Boil them with the milk and sugar for another 20 minutes or until they are soft.

Throw the nuts and milk/sugar in a blender.

Add carob, butter and paneer.

Mix until it is completely smooth.

Let it cool.

Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla.

Mix part of the puree with the cream.

Roll the sandesh into the smooth logs.

Make a slit lengthwise half way through each log.

Pipe the filling in.

A tip: Sometimes sandesh is a little bit too wet and difficult to handle. Sweep your hands and utensils with tasteless oil (sunflower for example) or ghee. It helps in rolling them into shapes.