High Protein Moong Idlis with Bell Pepper Chutney

I used to always be nervous about making Idlis. I never thought I could actually work with the proportions of the various grains to make Idlis a perfect dinner time delight. After a great tip from my MIL, I was able to get the ratios for the two dals and rice just perfect and now I make light, fluffy and protein rich Idlis for dinner often. Fermenting the batter is key and a combination of the oven with the light on (8 hours) and room temperature (daytime 4 hours) works really well! A good food processor is equally important to grind the soaked grains into a very fine batter. I use a Vitamix blender.

A nice red bell pepper chutney completes the meal. You can spice up the chutney with whole red chilies if you want or make it mild with the addition of ground black pepper. Serve with a nice salad on the side.

Batter:
1/2 cup split urad dal (black gram), washed
1/2 cup split moong dal, washed
1/2 cup sona masoori rice, washed
1/4 tsp fenugreek powder
Salt to taste

Soak the pulses and rice in warm water for about 4 hours. The water should be just enough to cover the ingredients. A lot of the water will be absorbed in the soaking process, re-hydrate if necessary. Grind all the ingredients into a smooth batter post soaking and add fenugreek powder and salt to taste to the batter. Cover with a lid that has a hole to allow for air circulation in the pot and ferment over 10-12 hours, the batter should rise as seen in the pictures I show below. Mix well post fermentation and refrigerate until ready to use. The batter keeps well in the refrigerator for about 4 days.

For the chutney, you will need:

2 red bell peers, washed, chopped

 20 curry leaves

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Asafoetida

1 small onion, chopped

1/t tsp sambar masala (http://aachigroup.com/cms/)

2 tsp oil (peanut, rice bran, canola)

1 whole red chili, optional

Sputter the mustard seeds in the oil in a sauce pan. Add the onions and curry leaves with the Asafoetida. Saute and add the bell peers and sambar powder. Cook covered until the bell peppers are just cooked. Add salt to taste, cool, blend and serve with the warm Idlis! Enjoy!

Avocado and sprouted green mung bean salad

A high protein salad for weekend brunches. Serve with Pita bread and soup for a full meal!

You will need sprouted mung beans, lightly steamed: To sprout mung beans, soak a cupful overnight in water, and then place them is a strainer lined with a wet cheese cloth. Cover the mung beans with the cheese cloth and let them sprout over the next eight hours or so.

Date and Tamarind spread/chutney: Easily made at home. Soak pitted chopped dates and pitted tamarind in a ratio of 10 dates to a small piece of tamarind in a saucepan with water. Cook, on medium heat, and simmer until a thick slush of dates and tamarind is left behind in the saucepan. Add some jaggery or brown sugar to taste (you won't need much, since the dates are sweet), rock salt, cumin powder and chili powder to taste. Strain the slush and voila! The spread is ready. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

Multi-grain crackers made with Pita bread
1 large avocado, chopped
Chopped, seeded tomatoes
1/8 cup chopped red onion (optional)
Mung beans, sprouted, steamed
Date and Tamarind spread


To prepare the salad, place the mung beans, avocado, tomatoes and onions in a bowl. Crush some chips or place them whole on the vegetables. Sprinkle salt to taste. Garnish with the spread and serve!

Mushroom Curry in Cashew Gravy

Mushrooms are a rich source of many nutrients and lend themselves to curries easily. Here is a recipe for a mushroom curry in a rich cashew gravy that works well when served with rice or breads like Naan, Pita, Lavash, and Roti! My cousin loves this curry and I hope you do too!

To serve a table set for two, you will need:

1 packet of mushrooms, washed, and diced lengthwise or in quarters.
2 tsp of ginger-garlic paste (fresh works best, made with a fine grater)
2 tsp of curry powder
1/4 cup ground cashews
1/4 cup yogurt, whisked
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, washed, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
Oil to saute
1 small onion, chopped
1 or 2 tomatoes, washed, seeded, diced
1/4 tsp of turmeric, 1/4 tsp of red chili powder (optional)
Salt to taste, 1/2 tsp sugar

Sputter cumin seeds in the heated oil in a large saucepan. Saute the onions, and let them turn a golden brown. Now add the curry powder, turmeric and ginger-garlic paste . Fry for about 30 seconds and add the diced tomatoes and mushrooms. Cover and cook until mushrooms are just cooked, do not add water, since mushrooms tend to sweat as they cook. Now add the ground cashews and about 1/8-1/4 cup water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Season with salt, sugar and red chili powder and turn the stove off. After the curry cools slightly, add the whisked yogurt, garnish with cilantro and serve!

Hearty Cabbage and Potato Soup

Cabbage, aah, not much that you can do with this really healthy, good to eat vegetable right? There's curries, there's coleslaw, there's soup....ahem, did you say soup? Yes, I did!

Try this winning combination of cabbage and potato in a rustic soup. You won't be disappointed.

You will need:

2 carrots, washed and diced.

1/2 cup of cooked rice.

1/4 to 1/2 cup cabbage, washed, shredded.

6 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped.

1/2 onion, finely diced.

2 Yukon gold potatoes, washed, peeled, and diced.

1 tsp of California style sweet paprika.

Black pepper and salt to taste.

Olive oil 1 tabsp and butter 1tbsp to saute the onion.

Crushed Thyme, 1 tsp to garnish.

In a saucepan, heat the oil and butter together. Saute the onions and garlic until a mild golden brown. Now, add the potatoes, carrots and cabbage and stir for a minute or so. Add paprika, black pepper and salt. Pour enough water to cook the vegetable, covered. I normally do about 2 cups of water. After a rolling boil, cook until potatoes are just about done. Now add the rice and bring to a rolling boil. Turn of the stove and let the flavors seep into the broth. Garnish with the crushed thyme and serve warm with rustic bread. Serves two. Enjoy!

Versatile Weekly Menus

Wondering what to cook everyday? You are not alone really, all of us, often wonder if we are balancing our meals well. So I decided to post a weekly menu that helps me immensely. Alter the protein and vegetables based on your preferences! Protein can be included in every meal in various forms, by including nuts, legumes, whole grains like amaranth and buckwheat, and of course dairy and eggs!

Here goes!

Zucchini and Red Lentil Dal

Zucchini and Red Lentil Dal

Most people think of Zucchini as a vegetable to roast or add to pasta or to make fritters with. But Zucchini is also a very versatile vegetable that can be grated and added to cakes, and yes, dal! My aunt gave me this idea, and I tweaked the recipe to work with my taste preferences and spice levels. My friends wanted this recipe, so here it is.

To prepare this nutrition packed dal you will need:

1 cup red lentils (raw), washed, soaked, and cooked (almost)

1 medium sized zucchini, washed, grated

½ large yellow onion, chopped

1 large tomato, seeded, diced

1 bay leaf

1 large stick of cinnamon

3 tbsp of oil (rice bran, olive, canola)

½ tsp of turmeric

1 tsp garam masala (brands include McCormick, Aachi, Penzys)

1 tsp of garlic paste (I make this fresh)

Salt to taste, dash of red chili powder depending on personal spice levels!

¼ tsp sugar (this enhances the flavor of the garam masala)

Method:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, and sauté the onion until golden and translucent. Immediately add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Now add the garlic paste and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Now, add the turmeric stir and add the grated zucchini. Sauté until the zucchini just cooks, and then add the tomato. Cook for a minute and then add the dal. Always stir in the cooked dal, and then add a small amount of water to give the mixture a gentle boil. Finally, add salt to taste, chili powder, and the sugar. Serve hot with rice and a good amount of ghee!

Parfaits in Strawberry Season

A splash of deep red, amidst a white background, dotted with earthy browns. I am a dessert, who am I? Why, a parfait of course. I am delicious, healthy and loaded with nutrients.

Parfaits have to be my favorite breakfast on hot summer days. All you need is homemade yogurt, homemade granola, and loads of fresh summer berries. To assemble a parfait is easy. A bit of planning and it can be your go to breakfast on any day really. I make my weekly batch of yogurt on a Sunday typically. Many people ask me where I get my starter culture from. I normally rely on store bought yogurt that contains only cultured milk. Mind you, not buttermilk, but store bought yogurt whose only ingredient is pasteurized milk that is cultured. Typically, for two cups of milk that has been brought to a gentle boil and cooled, I used about 4 tablespoons of yogurt. Remember to remove any cream that you see on top of the milk that has been boiled and cooled. This thin layer should be removed before adding the yogurt to the milk. I tend to place the milk that has the yogurt mixed in it, in the oven, with the light on for about 6 to 8 hours. There should be no lumps of the yogurt in the milk. The heat from the oven light is enough to help the bacteria in the yogurt to ferment the milk. The yogurt sets really well. That's it! Once you get your first batch of home made yogurt, your culture remains if you make yogurt regularly. It is that simple.

Homemade granola is equally easy. I use about 1.5 cups of rolled oats with 1/8 cup of honey, 1/8 cup of sunflower oil and about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. I mix these ingredients with my hand in a glass baking dish, and toast the oats at about 350 F until they are lightly browned. I tend to mix the oats around several times. I also often add various nuts like almonds and walnuts to the oats as they roast in the oven. Once the oats are done, just remove the baking dish from the oven and add a 1/4 cup of raisins and a 1/4 cup of chopped dried figs to this oat and nut ensemble. Voila! Your home made granola is ready. Cool this granola to room temperature and store in an airtight box. It should last a week or so. This volume will make about six single serving parfaits each with a 1/4 cup of granola or so.

To assemble to parfait, I use dessert cups and layer the granola with yogurt, add chopped strawberries and then drizzle some honey on top.

Enjoy!!

Hello Breakfast!

Time flies, or may be runs, perhaps does this really dramatic sprint...and boom! A year has gone by. I have been busy, but who isn't right? It has been a wonderfully productive year though. New recipes, new ideas and loads of new posts coming along I promise!

I really have been meaning to do a series of posts on oatmeal, rolled oats, oat bran, you name it. Breakfast specific mind you. I kind of started that trend with the oats dosa recipe, but this post is all about a breakfast full of warm oatmeal loaded with dried fruits, nuts and fresh fruit like green apples. Oh, and loads of cinnamon. This breakfast option is a big hit with my little one, and it gives us a lot of energy for busy mornings on weekends. Delicious to the core, here are my go to staples for a warm breakfast dish.

To prepare oat meal just follow the directions on the package. I stick to Bob's Red Mill rolled oats (organic), or their oat bran (organic). Loaded with fiber, protein and iron, the porridge can be made with water. I add the cinnamon powder when the oats are cooking in the water. I add milk only before serving. Chopped dried dates and figs, slivered almonds and chopped walnuts, and diced fresh apples, complete the meal for me. No added sugar mind you, but honey drizzled on the fruit make for a mouth watering meal. You can't go wrong.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Spice Cake

Sweet potatoes are a staple in my kitchen. The other day, I had some left over sweet potato (the orange flesh variety) and I decided to bake a cake with the cooked flesh. Sweet potatoes are pretty versatile vegetables and I wanted to make a breakfast type of a cake, with almond meal for added protein value. The end result was a surprisingly moist cake that was highly appreciated by the family. This recipe will be a keeper. Try it out! You can make this cake gluten free by substituting the whole wheat pastry flour with amaranth flour (toast the flour prior to using it for a nice, nutty flavor).

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4-1/2 cup canola oil
1/4-1/2 cup maple syrup (to suit your palette for sweetness)
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 inch fresh ginger grated
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
2 small, red-skinned orange flesh sweet potatoes cooked (steamed or baked)

Method
Combine all the dry ingredients including the cinnamon. Beat the egg in a separate bowl and then add the oil, followed by the maple syrup.Now, add the vanilla and freshly grated ginger to the wet ingredients. Mix well and add the dry ingredients slowly to the wet ingredients. Mix gently and pour the batter in a greased oven safe cake tin or glass bowl. Bake for about 35 minutes at 350 F or until a fork comes out clean when inserted into the baked cake.

Cool and cut into wedges. Serve with vanilla ice cream if you like but we ate it straight for breakfast!

Enjoy!

Parsnip and Methi Pulao

I stumbled upon this combination of vegetables for a pulao when I wanted to do something different with rice. I absolutely love the taste of parsnips and decided to whip up a fragrant pulao with it! My friends really enjoyed it and it tasted really good with a spicy hot pickle or yogurt. I ate it on its own, I don't like to have the yogurt or the pickle overpower the delicate taste of the parsnips.

Ingredients:
1 cup of basmati rice, washed
2 parsnips peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup of methi (fenugreek) leaves, washed
1-2 bay leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to your spice level)
2 1 inch sticks of cinnamon
4 cloves of garlic peeled
1 small yellow onion finely cut
2-3 tbsp canola oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat oil in a skillet and sputter the cumin seeds. Toss in the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and onion. Saute until the onions turn a light golden brown. Now add the garlic, red chilli powder, and turmeric, followed by the methi and parsnips. Stir and mix. Finally add the rice, combine all the ingredients and add water (2.5 cups of water). Stir in the salt to taste, Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low to medium heat until the rice and parsnips are cooked through.

Serve hot with pickle or yogurt.

Enjoy!

High Protein "No Added Sugar" Ladoos

I have been meaning to post, really, but have been busy with a zillion other things. We all are, I know. So today, after a nudge from my good friend, I am back with some more healthy recipes. I made these ladoos using almond meal, so that one can get all the natural goodness of almonds. I used soaked dates and figs to sweeten the ladoos and the end result was a ladoo that was an instant hit. For those of you who do not know what a ladoo is, let me explain. It is a rolled up, ball shaped snack that can be nutritious and filling when one gets those in-between-meals hunger pangs. Try this recipe and let me know how if you like it! By the way, you can make it gluten free if you like by substituting the semolina with millet (Ragi) flour. I have tried it and it turns out just as great.

Ingredients

1/2 cup each of Ragi/Amaranth flour, Almond meal, and Semolina (Rawa)
10 dates and 4 figs soaked in half a cup of warm water for about 1 hour
1 tsp cardamom
2-4 Tbsp of ghee

Method

Dry roast all the three flours together in a skillet with the ghee until light golden brown on medium to low heat. Add the cardamom to the roasted flour and mix well. Puree the soaked dates and figs in a food processor. Pour this puree onto the roasted flour in the skillet and turn on the heat on low. Mix thoroughly and add about a half a cup of water to bring the flour together. Continue heating until the mixture is just cooked (about a minute). Turn of the heat. Once cooled, roll into small balls. Store at room temperature. Should be consumed in five days or so.

Enjoy!

Amaranth and Date Pancakes

Pancakes and fall weather seem to go hand in hand. Out here in the SF Bay Area, fall has arrived with cooler weather, some welcome rain and farmer's markets full of persimmons and apples. So it seems like pumpkins are the flavor of the season (Halloween was just a month ago), but after eating pumpkin waffles and pumpkin muffins I was in the mood for something different. Since I have been making a conscious effort to include a variety of gluten free flours in my diet, in a recent chat with my aunt, Ameeta, she mentioned that I could try to make pancakes with amaranth flour. She gave me her recipe, I tweaked it to include dates and almonds and the result was a wholesome, gluten free, morning breakfast recipe that my toddler loved! Go ahead and try it, it will not disappoint you.

For four pancakes, you will need:

1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 ground almonds
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tsp baking powder
A generous amount of cinammon
Sugar or honey to taste (I used about 2 tbsp of sugar.)
2 Mejdool dates, pitted, chopped
One banana and chocolate syrup (Midnight Moo from Trader Joe's)

Beat the egg and then add the milk and sugar (or honey). Mix the dry ingredients and spoon in the dates. Add the dry ingredients to the egg-milk mixture and mix to form a smooth batter. Pour the batter into a preheated nonstick pan that has been greased with a small amount of butter. Cook the pancake covered with a lid until small holes form. Flip and cook again until the second side is done.

Serve warm with chocolate syrup and chopped bananas.

Yummy!

Oats Dosa

Eating oatmeal on busy mornings can be hard on families on the go! So here is a nice way to eat your oats - Dosas! These delicate crepes made with rice, urad dal and toasted rolled oats are full of protein and the health benefits of oats make them a staple in my kitchen for weeknight dinners.

You will need
1/2 cup of white basmati rice (non-GMO)
1/2 cup of urad dal (skinned, organic)
1/2 cup of rolled oats (I buy the toasted version, organic)
A 1/2 tsp of fenugreek powder
Salt to taste
Water
A cast iron griddle and vegetable oil (Canola/Safflower)

Rinse and soak the rice and urad dal in warm water overnight in separate bowls. Typically you want about 1 cup of water for each bowl. Grind each grain to a paste in a food processor sequentially. Just before this step, soak the rolled oats in a bowl of water for ten minutes or so. There should be enough water to cover the oats plus about two tablespoons more. I grind the soaked rice first, then I add the soaked urad dal to the grinder. Finally add the rolled oats.

Now pour this mixture of into a bowl that has sufficient empty volume above the ground grains. Add salt to taste and the fenugreek powder. Let this mixture ferment overnight at temperatures around 70 F or in the oven with the light on. Once fermented, add some water (only if required) to make the batter of a spreadable consistency and use a ladle to pour the batter on a preheated cast iron griddle that has some oil spread on it with a silicone brush. Spread the batter in a uniform, clockwise circular motion and cook. Flip the crepe and cook on the other side, spreading a few drops of oil on the uncooked surface before flipping. This batter lasts in the refrigerator for about three days! Always smell for over-fermentation, that is a sign that the batter has gone bad.

Serve hot with pumpkin seed chutney, or stuffed with cheese (toddlers love this for a meal, don't be surprised if they eat several crepes in one go!) or with a side of butternut squash sambar! 

ENJOY!

Mixed Nuts and Ragi-Rawa Ladoos

Mixed Nuts and Ragi-Rawa Ladoos

I am always looking for ways to make healthy treats in a jiffy. One day my toddler asked me to make some "ladoos", a sweet made in India for festive occasions and for a quick afternoon snack. Traditionally, ladoos are made using a significant amount of ghee and sugar. I decided to whip up some ladoos for the family using "ragi flour" and ground peanuts and almonds. These ladoos make a great snack and provide protein and energy to active toddlers. Moreover, jaggery and cardamom add a very earthy flavor to these wonderful and traditional sweets.

You will need:

1/4 cup shredded jaggery and powdered brown sugar each
1/3 cup of ground almonds and roasted peanuts
1/4 cup ragi flour
3/4 cups rawa (semolina)
1 tsp cardamom
A few saffron threads (optional)
3 tbsp fresh ghee
1.5 cups of water

Roast the rawa and ragi in a skillet with 1 tsp of ghee. Once roasted, add the mixture of ground nuts and the remaining ghee. Stir thoroughly and add the cardamom. In a saucepan, heat the water with the jaggery and sugar. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, reduce the heat and continue to boil this sugar syrup until it reduces to about a cup in volume. Add a few saffron threads to the water. Now add the sugar syrup to the skillet and mix the nut/ragi/rawa mixture with the water. The rawa will cook slightly. Continue mixing until the rawa softens in the heat of the water. Let the mixture cool. Mix with your hands and roll into small balls. Place a raisin on each ladoo. These should last for a few days at room temperature (in a steel container) or in the refrigerator (please do not cover them, place them in a plate).

Enjoy!

Ragi Cardamom Cake - Delicious and Oh So Simple!

The image of a cake made with Ragi (Finger Millet) flour can evoke a not so happy response from most people who think of cake as a sweet treat that is either made with lots of chocolate or then, is light and fluffy and has tons of icing on it.

Hello! Cakes can be healthy too, and with the right ingredients, can make a wonderful and delicious afternoon snack. Finger millet or "Ragi" as it is popularly know in the southern states of India, is a highly underutilized grain. It is packed with nutrition and is unfortunately associated by many as a breakfast grain, to be used to make porridge. Actually, it lends itself to baking very well and I have realized that it is a wholesome flour to use to make an eggless cake that is infused with cardamom.

Here is a the recipe. It was devoured very quickly by all at home and this is a recipe that I will get back to again and again. I was inspired by the chocolate cake recipe from Padhu to come up with my own take on the use of Ragi flour.

Dry Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour.
1/2 cup ragi flour (I used the organic flour from 24 Mantra).
1/2 cup dried sweetened coconut.
1/4 cup ground almonds (blanched).
3/4 tsp baking soda.
1 and 1/4 tsp cardamom.
Pinch of salt.
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp of powdered brown sugar (this amount can be varied to suit your sweet tooth).

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 cup full fat yogurt.
1 cup reduced fat milk (infused with saffron).
1/4 cup canola oil

Method:

Take about three table spoons of the milk and warm it in the microwave. Place a few strands of saffron in the milk. The milk should get a lovely yellow color and aroma from the saffron in 15 minutes. Now mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients including the saffron infused milk. Now pour the wet ingredients' mixture in the dry ingredients and use a spatula to form a fluid batter. This is more fluid than most cake batter. Pour the batter in a greased (I use butter), square glass baking pan (8 inch by 8 inch), and bake in a preheated oven (350 F) for about 30 minutes or until done just enough to get a toothpick out clean, when inserted in the cake. This cake is meant to be moist. Cool and cut into desired size pieces. Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee!

Cabbage Salad with Cranberries

Yes, a healthy salad can be tasty. A little imagination can go a long way in sprucing up the not so favorite, but immensely nutritious Cabbage. Fresh cabbage adds a unique crunch to salads while adding fiber and a bunch of essential nutrients like vitamin K,C and A along with plenty of manganese, vitamin B6 and manganese. This recipe us inspired by my grandfather's original contribution to the family dinner table.

To make this salad, you will need:

1/2 a cabbage: finely shredded

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup raisins

1 apple: chopped into bite size pieces

1/2 cup of peanut powder: roasted peanuts ground to a powder using a standard food processor

Salt, pepper and jaggery to taste: you can use golden brown sugar as a fantastic substitute for jaggery

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice: you can add more than this if you like your salad tangy.

In a large mixing bowl combine the cabbage, cranberries and raisins.

Then, add the diced apple, salt, pepper, lemon juice and jaggery. Mix thoroughly.

Finally, add the peanut powder, mix, and let the salad sit to marinate in the lemon juice for about 30 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

Leeks with an Indian Twist!

For someone who has grown up in Mumbai, the act of buying vegetables and other produce in a closed-door, artificial environment is well, not exactly fun. I want to feel the vegetables, look for any marks on the cauliflowers, smell the herbs and above all, be able to chat with the vendor or, if one is lucky, the farmer who actually grew the produce. When I moved to California, after several years in Scotland, I was introduced to the Farmer's Market on UCLA's busy campus. I was hooked. Cooking Indian cuisine with fresh produce feels right and the process of cleaning, pealing and chopping the vegetables makes it a very personal experience. While I had tasted leeks in an entrée in Edinburgh, the dish was distinctly not Indian but what I soon came to realize, the very popular 'Baked Leeks with Potatoes'. The mild taste of the leeks stayed with me and I was thrilled to see some fresh ones in the local farmer's market a couple of months ago. I decided to try them in an Indian curry (a.k.a. sabzi in 'Hindi'). I contemplated what spices would go with my ingredients of choice: the leeks of course, potatoes and peas. I came up with a recipe that tingled my taste buds just right. Pair up the curry with fresh 'Phulkas' and some dal and you have a healthy meal that will satisfy a hungry stomach like nothing else! So here is the recipe for the sabzi. Enjoy!

Leek and potato sabzi:

Three leeks - Washed, cleaned and sliced.Five medium-sized Potatoes - Washed, peeled and chopped into 1/2'' pieces.
Green peas - 1 cup, boiled and part cooked (the peas will start wrinkling at this point).
Grated fresh ginger - 1/2 teaspoon.
Grated fresh garlic - 1/2 teaspoon.Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon.
Everest sabzi masala - 1/2 teaspoon (get this in any Indian grocery store).
Jagger or golden brown sugar - 1/2 teaspoon.Salt to taste and some water.

In a saucepan, take 2 tablespoons of canola oil and heat the oil on medium heat. Add the cumin seeds to the oil when it is hot. At this point when added, the seeds will brown and sputter. Traditionally, this step of adding whole spices to hot oil while cooking is often referred to as 'tadka' in Hindi, or 'phodni' in Marathi, the language I speak in Mumbai and is local to the state of Maharashtra. Once the seeds start to crackle, add the sliced leeks and saute them until they turn translucent, with the flame on medium to low heat. Now is the time to add the ginger paste, garlic paste and turmeric to the sauce pan. At once, you will get an earthy aroma with the leeks getting coated with a nice orange hue. Saute some more, say for about 1 minute and add the chopped potatoes. Saute for another two minutes and the part boiled peas. Stir all the ingredients thoroughly. Now, add some water to the sauce pan, I would say about a 1/4 cup and cover with a lid. Let the potatoes cook until just right. We do not want to lose the vegetable shapes to a liquid mush. Hence it is necessary to use as little water as possible. Once a fork can easily insert into the potato pieces, remove the lid, and turn the heat to a low setting. Add the sabzi masala, salt and sugar. Stir well and serve piping hot with the Phulkas.

Lentil Dal with Baby Grape Tomatoes

Brown lentils make a great base for satisfying and nutritious dals. I always sprout the lentils before using them. It takes about 24 - 48 hours. I never store the sprouted lentils for more than a few hours before using them. Grape tomatoes add a unique flavor to this dal. I always make this dal when the tomatoes are in season and available in plenty at the local farmer's market!

Ingredients:

Brown lentils: 1 cup, soaked overnight in 1 cup of water and then sprouted to the point where you just see the seed germinate.
Red onion: 1 small, chopped.
Grape tomatoes: 1/2 cup, washed and halved.
Cilantro: fresh, chopped, 2 tablespoons.
Asafoetida: A pinch
Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon.
Turmeric: 1 teaspoon.
Garlic: fresh, grated, 1 teaspoon.
Red chili powder: 1/2 teaspoon.
Cumin powder: 1 teaspoon.
Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon.
Salt to taste.
Jaggery or Brown sugar: 1/2 teaspoon. (I buy it from the local Trader Joe's)
Pressure cook the lentils the day before if you are hard pressed for time on the day you plan to cook the dal.

In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil and add the cumin seeds. We want them to brown but not sputter. Then add a pinch of Asafoetida and stir. Add the chopped onions and saute them until they turn pink and translucent. Add the garlic and saute for a minute. Then, add the turmeric and saute for about half a minute or so. At this point add the halved tomatoes and saute until the tomatoes sweat and begin to soften. Now add the cooked lentils and mix the ingredients thoroughly. Bring the lentils to a boil by adding about 1/2 a cup of water. Add the cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder, salt and sugar and mix well. Cook on low heat for another five minutes. Serve with the chopped cilantro either as decoration or mixed into the dal as shown in the picture below.

Beetroot Salad/Raita

When one thinks of Beets, a deep crimson color immediately flashes in our mind. This root vegetable is full of essential nutrients that our body needs. I like to eat it after it is boiled, sliced with a dash of salt as a side or as a raita. Here is a simple recipe for a raita that I often make to accompany dal and rice.

You will need:

2-3 beets: I buy the organic ones sold in the local farmers market.
Yogurt and some chopped cilantro.
Cumin powder
Salt to taste
Brown sugar to taste.

Pressure cook the beets. Remove the skin and grate in a large bowl.

To this, add:
Yogurt (as per taste, the picture below should be able to guide you), chopped cilantro (about a tablespoon), a teaspoon of cumin powder, salt to taste and a teaspoon of brown sugar.


Mix thoroughly and serve as a side dish.


ENJOY!

Split Pigeon Peas Dal or Toor Dal

Split pigeon peas, also knows as "toor" in India are a staple source of protein in a daily meal. Here is a simple recipe using green chillies and tomatoes for a quick and nutritious dal.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of toor dal, soaked for about half an hour and then pressure cooked.
Six small tomatoes chopped into smaller pieces.
1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds and mustard seeds each.
A pinch of Asafoetida.
1 teaspoon of turmeric.
2 green chillies chopped into smaller pieces - For a less spicy dal, use only 1 green chilli.
1 teaspoon Goda masala - this is a unique blend of spices used in the cuisine of Maharashtra (India)


Take about 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a deep saucepan. Add the cumin and mustard seeds once the oil is hot (the range setting should never be higher than medium) so that they crackle once they hit the oil. Then, add the turmeric, asafoetida and green chilli pieces. Saute the spices for about half a minute. Then, add the chopped tomatoes and let them sweat.


Now add the cooked toor dal and 1/2 a cup of water to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. After boiling the dal for about 2 minutes, set the range to a low setting and add 1 teaspoon of the Goda masala. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Serve hot with Rice.

ENJOY!