Besan ka Poora, Kelaguen Mannok, Chickpea-Chard & Bread Soup

Besan ka Poora 
Poora (puri) are a kind of savory stuffed chilla or crepe from India, made with various kinds of wheat and non-wheat flours and a variety of vegetables for the stuffing.  Sweet or Punjabi Poora are a common Indian street food, and savory poora make a great breakfast or lunch.  Besan is the Hindi name for chickpea flour.

A friend of ours with extreme dietary issues has found these to be a varied and healthful part of her diet.  For my WW followers, one 8" poora is a filling 2-3 point meal!   Poora can be stored overnight in a zip-top bag, or even frozen individually then zip bagged.  This recipe makes 3 servings (or one large 12" poora):

1-1/4 cups Besan or Chickpea Flour
1/8 cup Onion or Green Onion, minced (1/8" dice)
1/8 cup Mushrooms, minced (1/8" dice)
1/8 cup Bell Pepper, minced (1/8" dice)
1/8 cup Scallion tops, minced (1/8" dice)
1-2 tsp Chana Masala (chickpea spice blend) or general purpose Garam Masala  
Water (about 1 cup)
                                             

Accompaniments:  shredded cheese and or chutney are common.  I used an English sort-of chutney called Branston Pickletm.  

Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and toss lightly to combine and coat. 

Slowly add water and whisk until you get a thinner-than-pancake, crepe-like batter.  Let the mixture rest a few minutes to fully hydrate the flour.

Heat a small (9") skillet on medium-low (don't cook these hot and fast), add ghee, butter or oil to just to coat the pan, and ladle in 1/2 cup of the batter and tilt the pan to spread out the batter.  

Cook until the edges dry and bubbles appear in the middle.  Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Repeat until the batter is gone.

Of course you can vary the fillings -- spicy chilis, minced summer squash, drained diced tomatoes, minced carrot or parsnip, cooked beans and other veggies work great here.   You'll want the veggies minced rather than large dice, so they have a chance to cook a bit.

You can also vary the flour --  lentil, oat, wheat, semolina, rice, even quinoa flour will give you variations in taste and nutrition.  You could even (heaven forbid) Americanize the dish by using Southwestern seasoning and chunky salsa.


Kelaguen Mannok  (Chicken Salad)
I first tasted this years ago when I lived on Kwajalen Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.  My simple take on this ubiqitous Chamorro (people native to the island of Guam) dish will brighten up any lunch box or buffet!  This list serves perhaps 15 people.  Use a couple chicken breasts and/or thighs and proportionally less other ingredients (except the coconut) for just a family.

1 Rotisserie Chicken
1 large Red Bell Pepper
1 Poblano Chili Pepper
optional hotter chilies
1 sweet Onion
4-6 oz unsweetened  Coconut meat
1/2 cup Soy Sauce (low-sodium)
1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
Optional Smoked or Hot Paprika
Optional saffron Rice for a side dish
Street Taco size tortillas

Skin de-bone and chop the chicken.  Dice the pepper(s) and onion.  Grate or mince the coconut.    Combine it all in a large bowl.  Drizzle the soy, vinegar and lemon juice over and toss to combine.  

Serve kelaguen on tortillas like a soft taco,  with a side of rice if you prefer.  Classic Pacific island fare!

Chickpea, Chard & Bread Soup
Got this interesting recipe from Fiona Barnes, Sally's oldest friend, in the UK.  From the name you think it's going to be a chickpea and chard soup;  but it's really an onion soup with chickpeas and chard.   The recipe comes from Thomasina Miers of The Guardian newspaper.  The concept is similar to Greek avgolemono -- using egg yolks to thicken and enrich the broth.  

Just don’t let this come to a boil after you’ve added the yogurt/egg mix,  or you'll end up with scrambled egg soup!

2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp EVOO
2-3 large onions, peeled and finely sliced
Salt and Black Pepper to taste
10 oz or 1 bunch Swiss Chard 
3 large cloves Garlic, 2 chopped, 1 crushed with a pinch of Salt
2 large pinches Saffron or Turmeric 
2 cans Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 cups Vegetable Stock, or water
3 Egg yolks, beaten
1 cup Icelandic Skyr or Greek Yogurt

To finish
A pinch of Sweet Paprika
4-6 slices good Bread toasted and cubed
Grated hard Sheep’s cheese, like the Manchego I used
Lemon wedges

Sweat the onions, seasoned with salt and pepper, for about 15 minutes, until translucent and very soft. While the onion is cooking, julienne the chard leaves into ribbons,  and cut the stems into 1" pieces.

Add the minced garlic and saffron to the onions, cook for a couple minutes, then add the chickpeas and stock. Bring to a boil, add the chard stems, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and crushed garlic in a small bowl, and stir in the yogurt.

Reduce the heat to a low simmer (200F if using an electric pot like I was).  Add a ladle of hot broth to the yogurt/egg mixture, whisk to combine, then slowly whisk the mixture back into the pot. Continue cooking over a low heat for five minutes, making sure the soup doesn’t actually boil, or the yogurt will split. Taste and check the seasoning – it may need a little more salt.

Stir the chard leaves into the soup and leave them to wilt while you toast the bread. Drizzle the toasts with a little olive oil, then break them up and put into pre-warmed soup bowls.

Ladle the soup into the bowls, sprinkle with a little paprika, and some grated sheep’s cheese. Serve with lemon wedges.

Note:  Don't use the julienned leaves of the entire bundle of chard like I did!   It's 'way too much.  Suddenly it became chard with some broth rather than a balanced soup.  Be more judicious than I was, and add the chard in moderation.  Half the amount would have been plenty.