The weather here in Portland was actually nice and summer-like for a few days and this called for meal that was not too spicy or multi-layered, just simple combinations of foods that are full of freshness and brightness. I had just received my brand new Vitamix the day before so soaked some garbanzo beans for making homemade falafel and was excited to try out the dry blade to grind some homemade flour. I made a quick trip to the Interstate Farmer’s Market before I cooked and returned home with some Enlish peas, fava beans, and cucumbers that would all be incorporated into the final meal: Homemade falafel, homemade flat bread, a fava- pea raita, fried paneer cheese, and salad with a peach dressing made by my roommate.
Homemade falafel is a very simply dish that does not take too much time or many ingredients. Soak the beans overnight, throw them in a food processor or good blender (like the Vitamix), add some turmeric, fresh parsley, salt, and a touch of baking soda (I actually forgot this and they turned out just fine). Let this mixture sit for about an hour then shape and cook Falafel are traditionally deep fried or sometimes pan fried as patties but to save on the mess and calories, I chose to bake them instead, with just a touch of olive oil brushed on top.
The terms raita and tzatziki are used interchangeably by everyone including myself and I am certain that historically they derive from the same dish. Raita is the Indian version and uses a different set of spices than tzatziki’s mint, dill, or parsley. In addition, raita in India is not limited to simply cucumber which is what one gets here in the USA. Growing up, we primarily ate the cucumber variety but other common ingredients include potatoes (not my favorite), carrots (and raisins sometimes, so sweet raita is also possible), and radishes. For this raita, I used quickly cooked fresh peas and fava beans along with ground toasted cumin seeds for the spice with a touch of lemon juice to add some brightness. Toasting the cumin seeds adds an incredible depth and earthiness to any dish to which they are added. The toasted, almost burn, flavor pairs specially well with the tartness of yogurt.
Paneer is the de-facto cheese of India and a key source of protein alongside yogurt in the mostly vegetarian country. It easily made by bringing milk to rolling boil and adding some acid (apple cider vinegar in this case) to cause coagulation. The resulting solids can be used as is but are more commonly are hung or pressed (or both to improve texture) in a cheese cloth to remove excess liquid and shape the cheese. I added turmeric to the cheese before shaping it to give a little bit of flavor and just pressed it directly with about 10lbs of various grains on top of it. The resulting cheese pancake was cubed and fried in some olive oil. Paneer does not melt under high heat but instead browns on the outside and gets soft and squishy on the inside, providing a great texture combination.
The flat bread was based on the focaccia recipe in the excellent Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone, a tome that in addition to an excellent coverage of vegetarian cuisine, includes a good introduction to bread making. Instead of making a loaf, I simply rolled the dough into small flatbreads that I brushed with some olive oil and zatar and cooked in a cast iron skillet.
The tasty salad dressing was made by my roommate and all I know is that it contained some fresh market peaches along with a combination of various flavoring including tamari, ume plum vinegar, cider vinegar, etc.
The meal was plated by starting with the dressing first and layering the salad, falafel, and raita on top. The combination of the tartness of the raita and the sweetness of the dressing went well together and the flat bread was consumed in great quantity by my household. All together a great summer meal. Hopefully we’ll have a few more of these summery days in Portland in which to enjoy more light meals like this one.