Savoury Pancakes – Just as Good as the Sweet??

I put the kernels off a leftover cooked corn on the cob into a bowl.  Then some chopped red onion, a little chopped tomato and ½ a green chilli (finely diced).

For spices I put in a little chilli powder, grated ginger, salt and cumin seeds.

Then I added 1 cup of plain flour plus a teensy bit of baking soda (say 1/8^th of a teaspoon).

I mixed this all up and then gradually added 1 cup of ice cold water – don't add it all at once and stop when the mixture is milkshake consistency and there are no lumps.

Rest the pancake mixture in the fridge for 10 minutes or so.

Heat some oil until hot, then spoon in the mixture in batches – the first 2 lots I did were too large and as a result I couldn't turn them over without breaking them.  I did get one ok – and that is the one in the pic, of course!

They were tasty – spicy without being overwhelmingly so – particularly the crispy edges.

Cumin Mushrooms – An Experiment

So I saw a recipe for cumin mushrooms and decided to give it a go – did I follow the recipe exactly?  Well no!  The result was a bit bland.  So I have put down what I think will work but no guarantees.

Ingredients:

Small button mushrooms (not the bigger ones I used)

2 teaspoons of ground cumin

Salt & pepper

Oil

Method:

I had the oven on cooking some cauliflower cheese so I decided to cook the mushrooms in it as well.  The recipe I saw suggested frying in a pan.

I de-stemmed each mushroom.  I put some oil into a baking dish and laid the mushrooms on it cut side down.  I sprinkled them with salt and pepper and with half of the cumin.  A drizzle of oil and then into the oven.

After about an hour I turned them over and put the rest of the cumin on.  In fact I was light on the cumin because it is a very strong spice but next time I'll be braver.

We ate them with dinner and they were only just ok.  What you are supposed to do is let them cool to room temperature and serve them on toothpicks as a cocktail plate.

Cheese Omelette - a little bit spicy

This was a slightly spicy take on a Cheese Omelette.  I heated some oil and butter in the pan – adding asafoetida, turmeric and cumin and let it fry off gently for a while.

I whisked up the eggs plus a spoonful of water and added pepper (but no salt).

After pouring the eggs into the spice mix, wait until the top is just about to set and sprinkle grated cheese on top (I used parmesan).

Turn it out onto a plate and garnish with spring onion tops (the green part of scallions).

Spice of the month - Cumin

Cumin is another ancient spice. It is even mentioned in the Old Testament.  Ancient Greeks used cumin as a table condiment like pepper or salt.

At German medieval weddings the bride and groom had it in their pockets along with dill and salt to ensure faithfulness

Cumin was used to combat flatulence and was said to make you very pale in the face

Cumin seeds are quite similar in appearance to caraway seeds.  Very aromatic and spicy rather than hot - but best used sparingly.  A little goes a long way.

Good quality cumin seeds should be khaki coloured rather than brown.

Dry roast the seeds before grinding/using them – this will lessen the cumin's bitterness and will intensify an earthy nutty and almost coffee like smell.

Cumin is an essential ingredient in Indian curries.

Cumin is also found in North African dishes like couscous, eggplant and in Indian curry mixes.

Mexican dishes – cumin is used in combination with chilli

Cumin goes very well with pumpkin.

Ideas - add some cumin to scrambled eggs for a flavour burst

Try coating some lamb with ground cumin and then cook them on the grill.  Sprinkle a little onto yoghurt.

Add cumin to minced beef.

My recipes with cumin: Yellow curry of pork with vegetables, Thai red curry paste, Meatloaf, Low FODMAP Butter Chicken, Slow Cooker Beef Curry, Savoury Pancakes

BIBLIOGRAPHY - with thanks to Auckland Libraries

Cook's Encyclopaedia of Spices by Sallie Morris & Lesley Mackley

Discovering Vegetables, Herbs & Spices by Susanna Lyle

Julie Biuso at Home

Spice Market by Jane Lawson

Spicery by Ian & Elizabeth Hemphill

Spices & Natural Flavourings by Jennifer Mulherin

Spices by Sophie Grigson

Spices Condiments and Seasonings by Kenneth T Farrell

Spices, Salt and Aromatics in the English Kitchen by Elizabeth David

The Cook's Companion by Stephanie Alexander