We've made our cook book club virtual! We may not be able to meet in person and cook for one another, but that doesn't mean we can't create together. Each month we will highlight a different spice or seasoning. Kits will include this spice, a recipe that highlights it, a little history on the spice or recipe, and some best practices. I'll post the recipes and information here as well, so let's get cooking! Oh, and we are changing some things. The kit has undergone an upgraded appearance. And be on the look out for some changes to the lineup as with the projected improvements to the pandemic status towards late Spring/early Summer will hopefully allow us to include some in-person meetings in addition to the spices and recipes.
Background on Cardamom
Primarily adapted from MySpicer.com
We continue this month with another of the world's oldest spices, the use of which dates back at least 4000 years. Native to Southern India and produced most heavily in Guatemala, Cardamom actually was used at least as far back as Ancient Egypt for medicine, religious rituals, and embalming... not to mention as a breath freshener. But the reach of this spice doesn't stop there.
Greeks and Romans used it as a main ingredient in perfumes and oils; Vikings used it in their culture too. You'd be hard pressed to find an Earthly location not touched in some way by this most ancient of herbs. In medicine, it's most often used to treat indigestion, asthma, and bad breath. But of course we are more interested in its cooking.
Best Practices for Cardamom
Primarily adapted from MySpicer.com
Cardamom finds its way into many different dishes. In Scandinavia, it often makes its way into mulled wines, pastry and bread dishes. In Asia, it is a part of the traditional cardamom tea (go figure). And in its native India and Middle East, cardamom is very popular in curries and other traditional spice blends. And of course, it is also one of the primary spices in traditional Chai Masala, or chai tea.
Main Event
Guyanese Gojas
(Fried Coconut Turnovers)
As Adapted from Food&Wine for use by the Brown Deer Library Cook Book Club
Active: 50 min. ● Total: 1 hr. 15 min. ● Serves: 12
Ingredients
Dough
2¼ cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ⅝ oz), plus more for work surface
1 TBSP light brown sugar
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt
2 TBSP cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼" pieces
¾ cup cold milk
½ tsp vegetable oil, plus more for frying
Filling
2 cups (about 6 oz) sweetened shredded coconut
1 TBSP plus 1 tsp light brown sugar
1¼ tsp freshly grated ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp kosher salt
2 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Make the Dough
Whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add cold butter; rub together with your fingers until butter is coated in flour and forms fine crumbs. Make a well in center of mixture, and pour in milk. Using your fingers, swirl flour mixture into milk until a sticky ball forms.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead until mostly smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, dusting lightly with flour if needed to prevent sticking. Rub dough ball all over with vegetable oil.
Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, Make the Filling
Stir together coconut, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Add melted butter and vanilla. Stir well, and set aside.
Divide dough ball evenly into 12 pieces (about 1 3/8 ounces each). Shape each piece into a ball, and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
Working with 1 dough ball at a time, and keeping remaining balls covered, press ball into a 2-inch disk. Place dough disk on a lightly floured work surface, and roll into a 5-inch circle (about 1/8 inch thick), flouring as needed to prevent sticking. Brush edges of dough circle lightly with water. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons filling over half of dough circle, leaving a 3/4-inch border around edge. Fold other half over filling, and press edges to seal. Crimp edges of dough using a lightly floured fork.
Transfer goja to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat process with remaining dough balls and filling.
Fill a medium-size Dutch oven with vegetable oil to a depth of 2 inches; heat over medium to 360°F. Working in batches, fry gojas, turning often, until evenly golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer gojas to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Serve warm, or let cool completely, about 20 minutes.