The New Grain Cookery

By YAMUNA DEVI

Nov. 5, 1992 12 AM PT

<i> Devi is the author of "Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Vegetarian Cooking" and "Yamuna's Table."</i>

These days we’re being told we should eat lighter foods, unrefined foods; “real” foods rich in nutrients, fiber and complex carbohydrates; foods low in fat, cholesterol and sodium. In other words: grain.

A new grain cookery is arising, based on age-old traditions. Spa and restaurant chefs are offering imaginatively prepared grain dishes such as vegetable-studded millet pilafs, gingered bulgur, saffron risotto, couscous timbales and polenta lasagna.

Many grains are available at natural food stores. You’re likely to find half a dozen types of rice--long-grain white basmati , medium-grain brown basmati , short-grain Arborio, Wehani, pecan, jasmine. Wheat might come as whole-wheat berries, cracked wheat, bulgur, couscous, semolina and scores of pastas. Many places also sell wild rice and ancient wheats such as Egyptian kamut and northern European spelt. Barley, oats and rye are available as whole grain or flour, along with triticale (a hybrid offspring of wheat and rye) and coarse stone-ground cornmeal.

You will probably find even more interesting grains on hand too, such as millet and teff . The nutritious seeds amaranth and quinoa--which are honorary grains--are now commonly available. Buckwheat, which comes as grits, untoasted buckwheat groats and roasted buckwheat kasha is another honorary grain.

Most whole grains are cooked similarly to rice, with varying cooking times and liquid contents, depending on the type, age of the grains and storage conditions since harvest. Some grains--millet and buckwheat, for instance--are best pan-toasted before cooking to deepen flavors and ensure a fluffy result.

Flavors range from subtle to distinctively nutty, with varying textures. I jazz up grain pots by adding any or all of the following during cooking: minced jalapenos, julienned ginger root, toasted spice seeds such as cumin, coriander, fennel or mustard seeds, and sprinkles of lime juice and chopped fresh herbs. Aside from adding flavor, these ingredients further help by lightening grains and making them more digestible.

Here wheat berries are enveloped in a gingery olive puree. Use any type of olive -- bold Greek Kalamatas or refined French Nicoises, tart Sicilian greens or mild Californians. If the olives are salty, rinse them before you use them. Serve the puree with toasted baguette rounds, oven-toasted chapati chips or apple slices.

WHEAT-BERRY CAVIAR

1 teaspoon coarsely chopped ginger root

1/2 tablespoon coarsely chopped seeded jalapeno chile

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 1/4 cups pitted black olives

2 tablespoons water or tomato-vegetable juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups Cooked Wheat Berries

Extra-virgin olive oil or virgin olive oil spray

Chopped cilantro or parsley

With food processor running, drop ginger, chile, mustard seeds and fennel seeds through feed tube until minced. Add olives, water and salt. Process until olives are nearly smooth, scraping down sides of work bowl as necessary.

Transfer mixture to mixing bowl and fold in Cooked Wheat Berries. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with cilantro. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

71 calories; 268 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.34 gram fiber.

Cooked Wheat Berries

3/4 cup wheat berries

5 cups water

Combine wheat berries and water in saucepan. Bring to boil and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 1 hour.

Return to heat and simmer 1 hour, or until berries are tender but still crunchy. Add more water if necessary. Drain wheat berries and cool.

This is a terrific dish, inspired by a creation from New York chef Michael Romano. In the summer I make the mint-scented couscous with garden vegetables instead of rapini. (Saute four small zucchini, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch slices; 16 thin asparagus spears, trimmed, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces, and four julienned carrots in 1/2 tablespoon olive oil just until the vegetables begin to soften. Then add 1 cup vegetable stock, 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads and proceed as described below.)

COUSCOUS MOLDS WITH RAPINI AND SAFFRON CREAM

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/3 cup diced sweet red pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking couscous

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons chopped mint or cilantro

Rapini

Saffron Cream

Cilantro leaves for garnish

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and toast until fragrant. Stir in sweet red pepper, cayenne and cinnamon. Saute until sweet pepper is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add vegetable stock and bring to boil. Stir in couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes or until grains swell and liquid is absorbed. (If any liquid remains, place over low heat until absorbed.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add chopped mint and gently mix.

Brush 4 (1/2-cup) straight-sided ramekins generously with olive oil, about 1 1/2 teaspoons. Divide couscous among prepared molds, pressing down with back of spoon. Cover tightly with foil and transfer to baking tray. Set aside in warm oven.

At serving time, carefully unmold couscous onto warm serving plates and surround with Rapini. Drizzle Saffron Cream over couscous and Rapini and garnish with cilantro leaves. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

606 calories; 279 mg sodium; 11 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 112 grams carbohydrates; 23 grams protein; 2.75 grams fiber.

Note: Couscous can be made day ahead and refrigerated in ramekins. Before serving, place ramekins in baking tray, add 1/2 inch boiling water to baking tray and bake at 350 degrees 15 minutes.

Rapini

1 1/2 pounds rapini or broccoli florets, trimmed

1 cup vegetable stock or water

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed

Combine rapini, vegetable stock and saffron in skillet. Bring to boil and simmer until vegetables are tender-crisp. Remove rapini with slotted spoon and set in steamer rack over simmering water to keep warm. Boil saffron liquid in pan until reduced to 3 tablespoons and reserve (keep barely warm) for Saffron Cream.

Saffron Cream

3 tablespoons reserved saffron liquid from rapini

1/4 cup Neufchatel cheese, at room temperature

1 cup nonfat yogurt, at room temperature

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Combine saffron liquid with cheese and yogurt in bowl. Whisk until creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with generous portions of a gingered saute of seasonal mixed vegetables.

PINE NUT AND ORANGE WILD RICE

Water

1/2 cup wild rice

1 cup basmati or Calmati long-grain rice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup dried currants

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 to 2 serrano chiles, seeded and finely slivered

Italian parsley sprigs

Bring 1 2/3 cups water to boil in saucepan. Stir in wild rice, reduce heat, cover and simmer until grains are tender but not split, about 25 minutes. Drain off excess liquid.

Clean, rinse and soak basmati rice in water 10 minutes. Drain. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add rice, currants, pine nuts, chopped parsley and orange zest. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 2/3 cups water and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Add orange juice, fluffing fork.

Combine wild rice and basmati rice. Add salt, pepper to taste and chiles. Gently mix. Serve hot, garnished with parsley sprigs. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

230 calories; 398 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 1.11 grams fiber.

Delicate buckwheat crepes and cabbage-studded kasha pilaf are layered to form an impressive savory torte, the whole bound together with melted cheese. This is a complicated recipe that should only be tried by lovers of kasha. Serve with soup or salad.

GATEAU OF BUCKWHEAT CREPES WITH KASHA AND RED PEPPER MOUSSE

1 1/2 cups buckwheat flour

2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Salt

1 cup cold water

2 cups boiling water

1 teaspoon baking powder

Non-stick olive or vegetable oil spray

2 teaspoons butter

1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

3 cups finely shredded savoy cabbage

3/4 cup roasted buckwheat groats

1 1/2 cups water or stock

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Freshly ground pepper

8 ounces finely shredded Swiss, Jack or Gouda cheese

Red Pepper Mousse

Combine flours and 1/2 teaspoon salt in food processor. Add 1 cup cold water and process until smooth. Add enough boiling water to yield batter with pourable consistency, similar to cream. Transfer to bowl, stir in baking powder and stir until bubbly.

Spray (9-inch) non-stick crepe pan with oil and place over medium-high heat. Pour in 1/3 cup batter, tilting pan so batter flows evenly to cover bottom of pan. Cook until edges begin to curl up and bottom turns light brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook about 2 minutes more. (If batter is too thick, 1/3 cup will not flow to make 9-inch crepe. Adjust quantity of liquid if necessary. Pan temperature is correct when top of crepe is covered with tiny holes and color changes within 20 seconds.)

Slide crepe onto plate and repeat process to make remaining 11 crepes, spraying with more oil if needed. When cool, stack crepes, separating with parchment paper. (Can be refrigerated 3 days and frozen up to 1 month.)

Melt butter with crushed hot pepper in skillet over medium-high heat. Add cabbage and stir-fry until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add groats and 1 1/2 cups water and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Add cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper. Fluff with fork to mix. Divide kasha and cheese separately into 11 equal portions on baking sheet.

Spray oven-proof serving plate with oil. Place crepe on plate and cover surface with 1 portion kasha. Sprinkle with 1 portion cheese. (Distribute kasha and cheese in even layer all way to edges.) Continue to layer crepes, kasha and cheese, ending with crepe, good-side up. Spray gateau liberally with olive oil.

Loosely cover gateau with foil and bake at 350 degrees until heated through, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve warm. Cut into 6 wedges, each drizzled with few tablespoons of Red Pepper Mousse. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

522 calories; 500 mg sodium; 66 mg cholesterol; 21 grams fat; 66 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams protein; 1.36 grams fiber.

Red Pepper Mousse

3 large sweet red peppers

Water

1/8 teaspoon hot paprika or cayenne pepper

Salt

1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream or 2/3 cup whipped light cream cheese, at room temperature

Quarter, seed and devein peppers. Grill or broil until skins blister and char. Cover and let stand 20 minutes. Rub off charred skins and coarsely chop peppers.

Place roasted peppers and 1/3 cup water in small saucepan and simmer until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to food processor, puree, then force through fine sieve, extracting as much liquid as possible. Add hot paprika and season to taste with salt. (Can be made 2 days in advance.)

Before serving, whip cream into light peaks. Fold in pepper puree and serve immediately.

Grain Sources

Arrowhead Mills

P. O. Box 2059

Hereford, Tex. 79045

(806) 364-0730

Dean & DeLuca Mail-Order

Department

560 Broadway

New York, N.Y. 10012

(800) 221-7714

Eden Foods