Tag: Cooking — Indian Recipes

The weekly CSA deliveries continue to make me try new recipes — or at least in this case, a recipe I have never tried despite eating several times.  For two or three weeks, I received a small head of cabbage in my share.  I've never actually cooked with cabbage, but I remembered that my mom made a tasty Indian cabbage dish that I used to eat a decent amount growing up.  So I called her up, and got her recipe — which sure enough, was extremely easy to follow, cooked up incredibly quickly and will definitely be repeated next time I pick up some cabbage!

And the best part — which I learned at work the next day — is that a whole head of cabbage has less than 300 calories!  That means each serving of this recipe is maybe 75 – 100 calories at most! 

Makes approximately 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 small head cabbage, outer green leaves removed and thoroughly washed (approx. 6 cups of cabbage, after chopped)
1/4 cup peas (can be frozen)
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 thai green chili pepper
1 tsp. mustard seeds
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3 dried red chili peppers (can be found in Indian grocery stores), broken in half
1 tsp uridahl
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Vegetable oil
Salt

Directions:

1.  Chop the cabbage into small pieces — approximately 1/2 inch wide by 1 – 2 inch long pieces.
2.  Place cabbage in the microwave for approximately 2 minutes to pre-cook.  Also place peas and carrot in the microwave for approximately 1 minute (if frozen, for 2 minutes).
3.  At the same time, heat 2 – 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat, and add mustard seeds.
4.  After mustard seeds pop, add garlic, red chili pepers, uridahl and cumin, and quickly saute.  You want to cook until the garlic softens, but before it browns.
5.  Immediately add the cabbage, peas and carrot; sprinkle on the turmeric and salt to taste; and ensure that the seasonings and oil coat all the vegetables. 
6.  Saute the mixture for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring regularly until the cabbage reaches the consistency you desire.  Add more salt to taste before removing from the heat. 
7.  Serve hot with basmati or long-grain rice, or Indian breads.  Think about how something so delicious can be so good for you!

I recently had some really tasty black-eyed peas at my uncle's place, and finally after thinking weeks about how good they were, I asked him for his recipe which was a lot simpler than I expected!  This is a good, simple AND healthy addition to any meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag dried black eyed peas (I used a bag that yields 6 cups cooked blackeyed peas)
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 thai green chili, sliced
• 4 dried red chili peppers, broken in half
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 curry leaves, ripped in half
• 3 tsps. vegetable oil
• pinch of cumin

Directions:

1)  Soak peas for at least 4 hours — I soaked them for 10

2)  After peas are soaked, drain the water.  Add fresh water and lots of salt to soaked peas and bring peas to a boil.

3)  Boil covered for 20 – 3o minutes (I boiled them for 40 minutes and it ended up being too long.  My uncle recommends 20 minutes)

4)  While peas are boiling, heat vegetable oil in a  small saucepan and add the mustard seeds, sliced thai chili and dried red chilis.  Saute under the mustard seeds pop and then add pinch of cumin and the chopped garlic until the garlic browns.

5)  Drain peas, and stir the contents of the saucepan into the beans.  Also add the curry leaves, mix and enjoy with rice, Indian breads or as a side to any meal.

The final of the three recipes I learned on my most recent trip home was Lemon Rice — a light favorite of mine.  I like to eat warm lemon rice mixed with plain yogurt as a light lunch, and it also can be a part of virtually any meal.  My mom recommends eating it with grilled chicken and garnishing with peanuts (I am vegetarian and allergic to nuts so unfortunately I can't follow either of these recommendations).

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked, day-old (or just not fresh) rice
• 1 1/2 tsps. mustard seeds
• 2 dried red chilis, broken in half
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsps. uridahl
• 1 tsp. channa dahl
• 15 dried curry leaves
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1 thai green chili, sliced
• Heaping 1/4 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tbl. fresh lemon juice
• salt
• vegetable oil

Directions:

• Warm up the rice in the microwave for 2 minutes or so
• In a medium pot or saucepan, heat a few tablespoons of oil on medium heat
• Add the mustard seed, dried red chilis and cumin
• When the mustard seeds start popping, add in the uridahl, channa dahl, curry leaves and turmeric.  Quickly stir the mixture, then turn off the heat.
• Mix in the shredded carrot and the thai chili, stirring quickly
• Mix in the warm rice, and when fully mixed, add 1 1/2 tsps. salt
• Finish with adding the lemon juice and making sure all the flavors are blended.  Add additional salt to pump up the flavor if you wish.

Garnish with peanuts if desired. 

This recipe is not only a family favorite, but also a favorite of family friends and visitors to my parent's house.  It can be made spicy or without much spice so it can serve a variety of guests.

Ingredients

• 4 – 5 Idaho Russett potatoes
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 dried red chili, broken in half
• 1/2 tsp. uridahl
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 6 dried curry leaves or so
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric
• vegetable oil
• salt

Directions

• Peel the potatoes and dice them into 1/3 inch square cubes
• Cover the chopped potatoes in cold water and add 1/2 tsp. salt (this will prevent discoloring of the potatoes during cooking and help take out some of the starch).  Let the potatoes sit for 5 – 10 minutes or so (can be longer, but as short as 5 minutes if you are in a hurry).
• The drain the water and roll the potato pieces in a towel to get the water out.
• In a saucepan, add 5 tsps. or so of vegetable oil and bring to medium heat.
• Add mustard seeds and cumin.
• When the mustard seeds start popping, add the dried red chili, uridahl, garlic and curry leaves.
• Saute for a minute or two, and then add in the potato.  Mix the potato in well so the potato pieces get coated with the mixture.
• Add turmeric.
• Let the potato cook, and stir from time to time.  When the potato starts getting brown and crispy, add salt to taste (start with 1 tsp — be fairly liberal as the salt really brings out the flavor).

Last week, I went home to my parents house in Michigan and learned three new Indian recipes.  The first that I learned — which takes the longest to prepare — is a very tasty and very healthy spinach and dal dish.   It is an excellent accompaniment to rice, any Indian breads or yogurt.  And although it takes about 40 minutes to prepare, most of that time it is just cooking in a pot so it's fairly hands-off. 

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. of frozen chopped spinach
• 1/2 cup of mung dal/pappu (available at Indian grocery stores — it is yellow)
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 3 thai green chilis (or other spicy fresh chilis), sliced lengthwise or chopped
• 1/8 tsp. turmeric
• 1 1/4 – 2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes (2 or 3 tomatoes)
• 3 tsps. homemade tamarind paste (if you use store-bought tamarind paste, its usually more concentrated so probably use 2 tsps)
• 2 dried red chilis, broken in half
• 8-10 dried curry leaves
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 3/4 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 2 – 3 fenugreek seeds
• pinch of asafoetida
• vegetable oil
• salt to taste

Directions:

• In a medium pot, put in the mung dal and put in water to both fully cover the mung dal and have an additional 1/4 inch of water above the mung dal.  Increase heat so to bring the water to a boil.
• After 5 minutes or so (as the water heats, but before it boils), add the frozen spinach and the chopped onions.  As you put in those items, do not fully stir them in — you want the pappu to remain at the bottom of the pot for most of the cooking so it can get fully cooked. 
• Add in the turmeric and cover the pot.
• As the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
• Then add in the tomato, tamarind paste and approx. 2 tsp. salt
• Add water as appropriate — it should be a soupy consistency because it will continue to lose water as it cooks.
• Cover and cook the mixture an additional 7 minutes or so.
• In a seperate small pot, heat a small amount of vegetable oil on medium heat and add in the mustard seeds and cumin.
• When the mustard seeds start to pop, add in the fenugreek, garlic, dried red chilis and the curry leaves.  Saute the mixture together for a few minutes.
• When the flavors start to come out/blend together, add in a pinch of the asafoetida and saute.
• Pour the contents of the small pot into the simmering medium pot, remove from heat and stir the entire mixture (including the dahl at the bottom).  Add salt to taste (or lemon if you prefer) — it's better to overflavor a bit because the flavors will become muted as the mixture settles.
• Serve and enjoy!

This is one of my favorite Indian dishes — and I have to admit, the person who makes it the best is my mother.  I haven't tried the recipe yet (can't find Okra yet) but I can't wait.   The recipe follows the picture:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh Okra
• 3 tbps. vegetable oil
• 2 dried red chili peppers (can be found in any Indian grocery store)
• 3/4 tsp. whole mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. uridahl/white dahl (can be found in any Indian grocery store)
• 1/2 tsp. channa dahl/yellow dahl (can be found in any Indian grocery store)
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• Salt
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder (optional)
• Cilantro to garnish (optional)

1.  Wash the okra, either towel dry or leave out to air dry for a few hours before cooking.  It is important that the okra is drier when you start, so it gets crisp and not mushy when you cook it.

2.  Cut the okra into 1/3 inch segments, discard the ends.

3.  Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan

4.  When vegetable oil becomes hot, break the two red chili peppers and throw them into the pan.  Also add the mustard seeds.

5.  When the mustard seeds start popping, add the cumin, uridahl and channa dahl.  Let it simmer  for a minute or two.

6.  Add garlic, and saute for two minutes — make sure the garlic doesn't brown.

7.  Add okra, and stir while raising heat to a higher medium level.  Cook the okra uncovered, and stir every two minutes. 

8.  After ten minutes or when the okra starts to get cooked enough that the okra pieces are not sticking to each other, add salt to taste (perhaps 3/4 of a tsp. to start).   Note:  Make sure you do not add the salt too early in the cooking process, it will make the okra gummy.

9.  Saute another 5 minutes or so until the okra is a bit crisp.  Add chili powder if desired and more salt to taste.

10.  Serve with rice or any Indian breads.