Radish curry
This is an interesting variation on the radish. I gave it an indian taste. Surprisingly my 4-year old ate it enthusiastically.
Ingredients
- Radish 2 bunches
- Onions 1/2 cup, chopped fine
- Garlic 4 pods
- Tamarind paste 1/4 tsp
- Chilli powder (optional) to taste
- Turmeric 1/8 tsp
- Sambhar powder (or spice powder of choice) 1/2 tsp
- vegetable oil 2 tbsp
- mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
Procedure
1. Remove roots and leaves from radishes. Wash the radishes, and slice them 5mm thick.
2. Heat the vegetable oil on medium heat in a pan.
3. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter.
4. Add the garlic and fry it.
5. Add the onion and let it cook till it becomes transcluscent.
6. Add the radishes and saute for 2 minutes.
7. Dilute the tamrind in 1/2 cup water. Add the tamrind water to the sauteed vegetable mixture.
8. Add the powders and cook on low and partially covered till the radishes are cooked.
Thallichakottina Mor Sadham (Tempered yogurt rice)
This is an Iyer staple, especially great when you want something gentle on your stomach (after a day full of heavy meals). It is basically a mixture of yogurt and rice with other intersting ingredients added.
Ingredients
Rice mixture:
- Long grain white rice 1 cup
- Water 3 cups
- Yogurt 1 cup
- Lemon juice 1 tbsp
- Asafoetida/hing 1/4 tsp
- Cilantro, chopped 3 tbsp
- Grated carrot/cucumber 1/4 cup
- Salt to taste
For tempering:
- Oil 1tsp
- Mustard seeds 1/4tsp
- Urad dal 1 tsp
- Mor Milagai (curd chillies) 4
Procedure:
1. Cook the rice.
2. Mix in the rest of the ingredients from the “Rice mixture” section. Add water to get desired consistency (around 1 cup).
3. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, when the seeds stop spluttering fry the curd chillies.
4. Add Urad dal and wait till it browns.
5. Add the tempering to the rice and stir.
Serve cool.
Butternut Squash Kootu
I have been looking for a suitable recipe for the butternut squash which is commonly available in the Southwest. This kootu recipe gives a South-Indian twist to this vegetable.
Ingredients:
- Butternut Squash: peeled, de-seeded and cut into 1 cm cubes 3 cups
- Dessicated coconut/fresh coconut: 1/2 cup
- Jeera/cumin: 1.5 tbsp
- Black pepper: 1/2 tsp (or more according your taste)
- Vegetable oil: 1/2 tsp
- Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
- Thuver dal/Pigeon Peas: 1/2 cup
- Salt 1/2 tsp or to taste
Procedure:
[1] Bring 1 cup of water to boil along with the salt. No more salt will be added to this dish beyond this.
[2] Add the cubed butternut squash pieces.
[3] Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 6 minutes.
[4] Pressure cook thuver dal for 3 whistles (1:3 dal:water proportion).
[5] (If using dessicated coconut)Boil 1 cup of water and pour over the coconut. Let it sit for about 3 minutes. Filter the water out.
If you wish you can add the jeera to the coconut at this stage.
[6] Add jeera(if not added earlier) and pepper to the coconut and grind into fine past with 1/2 cup water.
[7] Heat oil and add mustard seeds to it. Once it splutters add to the cooked squash.
[8] Add the dal to the squash.
[9] Add the masala to the squash.
[10] Add water to get desired consistency (1 and 1/2 cups)to the dish. Cook for 5 mins on medium for flavors to blend.
Enjoy with rice or rotis!!
Quinoa Rice with veggie ribbons
This a nutritious meal and an attractive way to get your kids to eat their veggies. Leave out the salt and the recipes can be used in the rice diet.
Ingredients:
For Quinoa-Rice
- Basmati rice 3/4 cup
- Quinoa 1/4 cup
- Vegetable oil 2 tsp
- Black pepper 1/2 tsp
- Herb of choice 1 tsp
- Water 2.25 cups
- Salt to taste
For Veggie ribbons
- Carrots 2
- Beet 1
- Spinach 2 cups
- Oil 2 tsp
- Black pepper 1/2 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Garlic, crushed 1 clove
Procedure:
For Quinoa-Rice
1. Rinse the rice and quinoa and presoak for 30 mins together.
2. Strain off the water.
3. Heat a pan with the vegetable oil.
4. Add the herb (I used dill) and pepper.
5. Add the strained rice-quinoa mixture and saute for 2 mins.
6. Add the water to the above mixture and bring it to boil.
7. Turn the heat to low and cover. Cook for 12 mins.
8. Mix is the salt.
For Veggie ribbons:
1. Peel the skin off the carrot and beet.
2. Peel the carrot and beet into ribbons (just like peeling the skin, except in this case you are creating peels from the flesh of the vegetable).
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan on medium flame.
4. Add the black pepper and crushed garlic.
5. Reduce the heat and stir in the spinach.
6. Saute for 2 mins and add the carrot-beet ribbons.
7. Saute the veggies for another 3 mins.
8. Add salt.
Notes: Hummus goes very will with the above combo.
Barley Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- Barley 1 cup
- Broccoli crowns 1 cup
- Vegetable stock 3 cups
- Oil 1 tbsp
- black pepper 1 tsp
- Garlic, crushed 1 tsp
- sliced onions 1/2 cup
- soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Salt to taste
Procedure:
- Bring the vegetable stock to boil and add the barley to it. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 30 minutes. Barley should be cooked by then.
- Heat oil in a saute pan on medium.
- Add the garlic and let it brown.
- Add the onions and let them brown.
- Saute the broccoli.
- Add the powdered pepper, soy sauce and salt.
- Add the cooked barley.
Best effort Kashmiri Dum Aloo
This is my humble attempt at the beautiful and extremely tasty Kasmiri Dum aloo. I was unable to procure a couple of the key ingredients (kashmiri red chillies and cockscomb extract). However it was extremely tasty and well worth the distinct taste. The dish requires effort should be attempted in leisure.
Ingredients
- Fingerling/baby potatoes 3/4 lb
- Peanut/frying oil for frying 2 cups
- Vegetable oil 2 tbsps
- Red/yellow onion. thinly sliced 1/2 cup
- Turmeric 1/2 tsp
- Red chilli powder 1 tsp
- Black cardamom 4
- Green cardamom 4
- Cinnamon sticks, 2″ 3
- Saunf powder 1 tsp
- Dried ginger powder 2 tsps
- Garlic, mashed/paste 2 tsps
- Yogurt 1/2 cup
- Water 1.5 cups
- Salt to taste
Procedure:
Cooking the potatoes
1. Bring 1 quart of water to boil with 1 tsp of salt.
2. Add the fingerling potatoes and reduce heat to medium and let it boil partially covered for 15 minutes.
3. Pass the potatoes through a strainer and pour cold water over it to stop the cooking.
4. Let the potatoes cool for 15 minutes. (start making the gravy while they cool)
5. Peel the potato skins.
6. Preheat peanut oil to 360 degrees farenheit.
7. Fry the potatoes in batches of 6-7 for 3 minutes. Check temperature of oil after each batch. If the oil cools down, let it warm up to 360 degrees.
Making the gravy
8. Heat 2 tbsps of vegetable oil in a pan and fry the onions till they turn brown.Remove from heat and let it cool
9. Squeeze out the oil from the fried onions and blend it into smooth paste with the yogurt.
10. Bring 1.5 cups to boil in the heavy bottomed pan.
11. Add turmeric, chilli powder, ginger powder, saunf powder, garlic, green and black cardamons and cinamon sticks. Reduce to medium low and let it cook for 10 minutes.
12. Add the blended onion-yogurt paste. Add the fried potatues and let it cook on medium low for 5 minutes.
Masoor dal Dosa/ Red lentil crepes
This is a south beach friendly vegetarian recipe. It uses the red lentils/masoor dal which is more readily availble in the US.
Ingredients:
- Masoor Dal (red lentils) 1/2 cup
- Urad Dal 1/4 cup
- Chana Dal 3 tbsps
- Crushed black pepper 1/2 tsp
- Kasuri methi or herbs of choice 3 tbsps
- Asafoetida 1/8 tsp
Procedure:
- Soak the dals for 3 hours in 3 cups of water.
- Drain the liquid and grind with water enough to be marginally thinner than pancake batter.
- Let the batter fermet for 3 hours.
- Preheat non-stick griddle for 5 mins on medium high.
- Spoon 1/4 cup of the mixture on the pan and spread into circular motions into a 7 inch diameter crepe.
- Let it cook for 2 minutes (or sooner if it cooks).
- Separate it from pan.
- It should have a papery texture.
Sundal
This South Indian dish can be used with most dried beans. I have tried it with black eyed peas and garbanzo beans.
Ingredients
- Dried beans 1/2 cup
- Curry leaves 4
- Asafoetida a pinch
- Red chilli powder 1/4 tsp
- Turmeric 1/4 tsp
- Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
- Cumin seeds 1 tsp
- Oil 1.5 tsp
- Lime juice 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
Procedure
- Presoak the dried beans overnight or for 8 hours.
- Pressure cook with 1.5 cups of water for 3 whistles and drain off the water.
- Preheat the pan and add the oil.
- Add mustard seeds, one they stop spluttering, add the cumin.
- The cumin should be fried in a manner of seconds. Add the asafoetida
- Tear the curry leaves by hand to release the flavour and add to the oil.
- Once the curry leaves have fried, add the drained garbanzo beans.
- Add the remaining spices and let it cook on medium low for 5 mins.
- Add the salt and lime juice and mix.
Summer Squash chutney
This is a good accompaniment to the mung dal dosa. Any summer squash can be used. I tried it with opo squash and zucchini.
Ingredients:
- Summer squash (peeled, de-seeded and diced) 2 cups
- Yellow or red onion, chopped finely 1/2 cup
- Red chillies 2
- Urad dal 3 tbsps
- Chana dal 3 tbsps
- Oil 1 tbsp
- Asafoetida 1 pinch
- Salt to taste
- Tamarind/lemon juice 1 tsp
Procedure
- Preheat the oil in a pan on medium.
- Add the chana dal and stir it frequently for 1 min.
- Add urad dal.
- When the dals redden, add chillies.
- When the red chillies turn brown, add the onions and saute till the onions are transparent.
- Add the diced squash. Cover and cook for 20 minutes on medium low.
- Let the mixture cool, add the salt and tamarind and blend to paste.
Oil-less Mung Dal Dosa/Crepes
I found the lentil proportions for this recipe on an online forum.
Calorie counter (approximately 940 calories):
Ingredients:
- Split yellow Mung dal 1/2 cup
- Urad dal 1/4 cup
- Channa dal 3 tbsps
- Red chillies 2
- Ginger, grated 1 tbsp
- Asafoetida 1 pinch (optional)
- Salt to taste
Procedure:
- Soak the 2 dals overnight or 8 hours.
- Add 1.5 cups waster and the rest of the ingrediets and blend into a smooth paste.
- Preheat non-stick griddle for 5 mins on medium high.
- Spoon 1/4 cup of the mixture on the pan and spread into circular motions into a 7 inch diameter crepe.
- Let it cook for 2 minutes (or sooner if it cooks).
- Separate it from pan.
- It should have a papery texture.
Toppings:
Spring onions, jalapenos, chopped spinach make good toppings.
Accompaniments:
Chutneys, hummus, pickles, dosa/idli podi make good accompaniments.
