Kokomo Recipes

KOOKOO SABZI (FRESH HERB FRITTATA)

Steps:

• Soak barberries in water to cover for 10 minutes. Drain.
• Pulse Swiss chard, parsley, cilantro, and dill together in a food processor, working in batches, until finely chopped but not mushy. Place into a large bowl with barberries, walnuts, garlic, salt, fenugreek, tarragon, turmeric, cinnamon, saffron, rose petals, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Add 6 eggs and mix well to combine; the batter should have the consistency of thick yogurt or soft serve ice cream. If it doesn't, add more eggs, 1 at a time, and mix to combine.
• Heat 1/3 cup olive oil in a large (10- or 12-inch) nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add batter and spread evenly. Cover with a lid and cook kookoo until oil starts to bubble along the sides, about 3 minutes. Cover and cook until it starts to set and the bottom is browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Cut the kookoo evenly into 4 large pieces and use a wide spatula to flip each piece over, 1 at a time. Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil in between the cuts, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, uncovered, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Cut into desired pieces and serve warm or at room temperature.

KOKOMO COCKTAIL

Steps:

• Mix ingredients in a shaker.
• Shake well.
• Serve in a tall coctail glass.
• Sprinkle with coconut.
• Serve with a straw, a wedge of lemon/cherry, or coctail umbrella.

DOSAS

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils well in cold water and drain. Transfer them to a large mixing bowl, add the fenugreek seeds and 2 cups water and let soak at room temperature for a minimum of 4 hours and up to 8 hours.
• Drain the mixture and add to a blender with 3/4 cup fresh water. Blend until creamy with an ever-so-slight grittiness.
• Pour this mixture back into the large mixing bowl and add the rice flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and enough water so it is the consistency of pancake batter. Mix well until evenly mixed and no lumps are remaining. Cover and let ferment until the batter has tiny bubbles, is frothy and has increased in volume, 12 to 36 hours (depending on the weather; see Cook's Note).
• Add another 1/2 teaspoon salt to the batter and mix well. The final batter should not be too thin or thick; if it's too thick, add a little water, just enough to make the batter spreadable. A very runny batter will not result in crisp dosas, but a very thick batter will not be easy to spread. If the batter is very thin, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of rice flour to thicken. Transfer to an airtight quart container. This mixture will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
• To make dosas: Heat a nonstick pan or well-seasoned cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. (If your pan is not nonstick, rub a little oil into it. A nice traditional way of doing this is by using the flat side of half an onion.)
• Pour about 1/4 cup batter in the center of the pan and with the back of the ladle or the back of a small heatproof bowl or katori, spread it from the center outwards in concentric circles by applying a gentle pressure. Don't worry if the batter does not spread very evenly. I prefer a little unevenness as that way parts of the dosa are crisp and parts are soft. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of ghee or oil around the rim of the dosa and let the dosa cook until it becomes crisp on the thin parts and you can see it turning light brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the filling of your choice (if filling) to half of the dosa. With a metal or non-stick turner, flip the other half over and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter. Dosas are best eaten right away. Serve with Easy Tomato Chutney, if desired.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, add the mustard seeds. They should pop immediately. Lower the heat to medium and add the lentils, red pepper flakes and curry leaves if using. Be careful, as the curry leaves will sputter. Cook, stirring often, until the lentils turn golden brown, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook until it just starts sizzling; you do not want it to brown. Add the tomatoes, turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Increase the heat to medium high, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Add the jaggery or raw sugar and tamarind paste and cook until well mixed and the sugar has melted, 4 to 5 minutes. Add salt to taste. Remove from the heat and add the roasted sesame oil to finish, if using.
• Once cool, transfer the chutney to an airtight container and refrigerate. This chutney will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

KASHK

Steps:

• Scoop the yogurt into a large pot and add 2 cups water. Whisk until the water is fully incorporated and there are no lumps. Place the pot over medium heat and stir constantly until the yogurt comes to a boil, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the yogurt is pretty thick and has lightly splattering bubbles, about 1 1/2 hours. The yogurt will separate and most of the water should be evaporated. Raise the heat to medium-high and stir constantly until the mixture is quite thick and lumpy and the color is light beige, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 20 minutes.
• Pour the kashk into a nut-milk bag and squeeze out and discard as much liquid as possible; you want to end up with dry pulp. Place the kashk in a blender, add 1/2 cup water and blend on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add an additional 1 tablespoon water if needed to create a smooth consistency similar to mayonnaise. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt and blend to incorporate. The kashk should taste somewhat salty and sour. Add more salt, if needed. Adjust the consistency if desired with a little bit of water.
• The kashk will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir before using. You can also freeze the kashk for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then stir before using.

GORP

Steps:

• Dump all the ingredients into the plastic bag. Seal up the bag. Shake the bag to combine the stuff together. Serve.

HIYASHI CHUKA

Steps:

• For the sauce: Whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, ginger and 3 tablespoons water in a medium bowl until the sugar dissolves. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
• For the kinshi tamago (shredded egg crepes): Whisk together the eggs and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into another small bowl. (This isn't essential but yields a smoother crepe without any pockets of egg white.)
• Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Lightly wipe the surface of the skillet with a folded-up paper towel dipped in some oil.
• Add about 3 tablespoons (see Cook's Note) of the beaten eggs and immediately and quickly tilt the skillet in all directions until the eggs evenly cover the bottom. Cook until the eggs are just set, about 20 seconds. Carefully flip the sheet of eggs with a spatula, using your fingers as needed, and smooth out any wrinkles. Cook until the bottom of the eggs are just set, about 5 seconds more.
• Transfer the sheet of eggs to a cutting board. Repeat the process 2 more times, re-oiling the skillet between batches and stacking the sheets on top of each other.
• Roll the sheets into a log and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices. Gently separate the strands with your hands.
• For the assembly: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
• When the water comes to a boil, boil the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain the noodles, then rinse with cold running water, tossing them with your hands, until completely cool and all the excess starch is removed. Drain thoroughly. (Any excess water will dilute the sauce.)
• Divide the noodles among 4 shallow bowls. Arrange the ham, surimi, tomatoes, cucumbers and kinshi tamago over the noodles in sections. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and place a dollop of karashi, if using, on the side of each bowl. Serve with the chilled sauce to pour over the noodles as desired.