Dill Paratha ~ Indian Wheat flatbread with dill

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Wishing all my readers a very happy, joyous and wonderful new year. Also sincere apologies to all regular readers for my long absence. It has been so long since I posted anything in this space. Every time a friend, cousin or relative asked me last year, I assured them I would be back to blogging soon. Yet the effort of taking pictures of the things I make just seemed too much. With traveling and guests, 2016 was just too busy and seemed to go in a blink, and this space had to take a back seat.

One of my resolutions for this year is to blog more often. I am hoping I am able to keep this resolution  ** fingers crossed **   I already have a few fun recipes lined up that I will be posting here soon. 

Dill leaves haven't had much of a place in my kitchen until recently. But once I started to use them, I really liked the aroma of these leaves and have been using it more often these days. Dill leaves have some amazing health properties. The are said to be a great source of calcium, have healing properties, help prevent cancer and help digestion among other things. They also taste great in parathas :)  If you are looking for a new kind of paratha to go with your curries or something different for the lunch box, give this one a try and tell me what you think of it.

Click here for a printable view of this recipe 

Ingredients and Method to make Dill Paratha
1 and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (atta / godumai maavu)
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped dill leaves (sowa/ sathakuppi sompa)
salt to taste (approx 1 1/4 tsp) (namak / uppu)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi/ manjal podi)
1 tsp chili powder (or to taste) (lal mirch )
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera/ jeeragam) (optional)
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 to 3 tsp of any flavorless oil + a little extra for applying on the parathas while cooking

Rinse and dry dill leaves, chop the leaves finely and keep aside. 

In a large bowl add whole wheat flour, salt, spices, cumin if using and mix well.

Add dill leaves, oil and mix with your fingers.Add water as needed and knead until it forms a soft non sticky dough.

Divide the dough into equal sized balls.  With the help of a little flour roll out into a circle of desired thickness. Heat a flat pan/ griddle/ tawa. Place rolled out dough on it and cook until the lower side has brownish spots on it, flip over and cook the other side until it has brown spots on it. If you wish you can apply a few drops of oil or ghee to the side facing upwards. Flip over for a few seconds and remove from heat.

Serve hot with dhal of choice, curry of choice or some raita.

Notes:
The oil/ ghee to be applied on the rotis is optional. When I plan to serve it immediately, I skip this sometimes and it tastes just as good. I do apply a little oil/ ghee when I plan to make this for the lunchbox or if I plan to serve it a little later.



If you are looking for roti varieties, here are a few more

Spring onion/ Hare Pyaaz Roti

Carrot Roti ~ Gajar Roti

Avocado Roti

Read more ...

Vegan Lemon Quinoa Bean Salad

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Spring has sprung and along with frequent showers, blooming flowers and warm weather it has also brought back my craving for salads. Throughout the cold months of fall and winter, I crave soups and hot curries, come spring and summer and I want much more salads.And salads that combine protein, some veggies and are filling enough to qualify as a one dish meal, are my favorite kind.

This quinoa bean salad definitely definitely qualifies. It is hearty, filling, nutritious, oil free, low fat and even packs well in the lunch box. Cannot ask for more from your salad :)  This salad can be put together really quickly making it a great option for weeknight dinners. If you are looking for more ways to include quinoa in your diet, give this one a a try and as always would love to hear your opinions and ideas :)

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make lemon quinoa bean salad

1 cup quinoa

1 cup corn

1 cup cooked pinto beans ( see notes for substitutions )

6 spring onions cut fine ( only the green part )

2 jalapeños cut fine ( or to taste )

Salt to taste

Handful cilantro cut fine

Juice of half a lemon (or to taste )

Rinse quinoa in cold water for a full minute. Place in large heavy bottomed pan, add 2 cups of water and place on medium heat. Cook until quinoa is cooked and soft. Fluff cooked quinoa with a fork and keep aside.

Cook corn in the microwave or the stove top with just enough water until soft. Keep the cooked corn aside. Make sure there is no water remaining in the cooked corn, if there is, drain the corn completely and keep aside to use in recipe.Allow quinoa, corn and beans to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, mix together quinoa, corn and beans gently. Add salt to taste and mix again. Add spring onions and jalapeños and mix.

Add lemon juice and mix well. Garnish with cilantro and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Notes:

If you do not want to soak and cook beans, you can substitute with canned beans. Just rinse the beans thoroughly in cold water, drain and use in recipe. Instead of pinto beans,  red kidney beans /rajma  or black beans can also be substituted in this recipe.

If you are looking for quinoa recipes here are a few more,

Quinoa Khichdi ~ Peanut flavored quinoa

Quinoa mung dosai ~ Savory crepes

Lemon Vegetable Quinoa

Quinoa Flax Uthappam ~ Savory quinoa crepes

Quinoa Oat Adai ~ savory quinoa lentil crepes

Quinoa Lentil swiss chard soup

Read more ...

Katrikai Rasavangi ~ Vegan Eggplant Lentil Curry

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Its been a while since I posted in this space.  Ever since I opened my online jewelry store I have been super busy with setting it up and even though I have made some really interesting recipes recently that I want to and hope to post in this space soon, I haven't been able to more than peek at this space these last few weeks. I guess I have yet to learn to balance both my passions. But I am hoping to hit my stride soon and work out a way to post here frequently too.

Moving on to the post, katrikai rasavangi is a dish from Tamilnadu made with eggplants, lentils and a spice mixture made with roasted lentils and coconut. The best way I can describe this to those of you who have never tasted or tried this before is that it is somewhat similar to sambar. It is served over a bed of plain steamed rice with a stir fry kind of curry on the side. This rasavangi was something I used to make fairly frequently in the past, but in the recent couple of years I have hardly made it, not sure why, since I love it so much. Anyway recently when I made it again, I was reminded of how awesome this rasavangi tastes and since then it has become a regular in my kitchen again :)

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make Katrikai Rasavangi

1/2 cup split pigeon peas (tur dhal / Tuvaram parappu)

Small gooseberry sized tamarind (Imli/ Puli)

6 to 7 small Indian eggplants cut into 1/2 inch pieces (baingan/ katrikai)

Salt to taste (namak/ uppu)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi/ manjal podi)

Roast in 1 tsp oil (tel/ ennai)

1 tsp Split black gram lentil (Udad dhal/ ulatham parappu)

2 and 1/2 tsp coriander seeds (dhania/ kothamalli virai)

a pinch of asafoetida (hing/ perungayam)

4 dry red chilies (sukhi lal mirch / molagai vathal) (or to taste)

Seasoning
1 tsp coconut oil (or any other oil)
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai/ kadagu)
10 to 12 curry leaves broken into small pieces (kadipatha/ karvapillai)

Grind with 1/2 cup fresh/ frozen grated coconut (nariyal/ thengai) (if using frozen, thaw to room temperature)

Place pigeon peas/ tur dhal in a medium sized bowl, fill with water, swirl with hand and strain water. Fill with fresh water enough to submerge the lentils and soak for at least 30 minutes. Pressure cook the lentils until soft, this usually takes 3 to 4 whistles in my pressure cooker. Alternatively you can cook the lentils on the stove top or in the microwave until soft and mushy. When the pressure subsides, open pressure cooker, mash the lentils gently and keep aside.

In a small bowl, soak tamarind/ imli in sufficient water for at least 15 to 30 minutes.Press the tamarind/ imli with fingers and extract juice. Strain and collect tamarind juice in another bowl and fill the first bowl with tamarind with some more water and extract juice again. Strain and discard the tamarind pulp and seeds.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a small pan on medium to medium low heat, add split black gram/ udad dhal to it and stir until the lentils begin to redden, then add coriander seeds/ dhania, pinch of asafoetida/ hing and dry red chilies and stir a few times. Remove from heat and grind this entire mixture along with grated coconut and very little water until it turns into a smooth paste. If you are using frozen and thawed to room temperature coconut, use a little warm water when grinding this paste. Keep the paste aside.

In a medium sized heavy bottom pan, add tamarind juice, salt to taste, turmeric powder and place on medium heat. Add cut pieces of eggplant/ baingan to it and allow this mixture to simmer until the eggplant becomes soft and tamarind loses its raw smell.

Once the eggplant is soft add cooked dhal and the ground paste to it and mix well. Add water if required to achieve a sambar like consistency, simmer for a few minutes for the flavors to mingle. In a small pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds to it when the seeds begin to splutter, add curry leaves/ kadipatha, stay a little away from the pan as curry leaves sometimes causes oil to splutter a little, pour the entire seasoning on the rasavangi. Remove from heat.

Serve rasavangi hot on a bed of plain steamed rice and a curry on the side or chips/ papad/ appalam on the side. Rasavangi also tastes good with chapathis/ phulkas/ Indian flat bread.

 If you are looking for recipes with eggplant/  baingan, here are a few more

Baingan Bharta ~ Vegan Roasted Eggplant Curry

Baingan ki sabzi ~ Eggplant in coconut milk gravy

Methi Baingan  ~ Eggplant with fenugreek curry

Baingan Simla mirch sabzi ~ Eggplant bell pepper curry

Read more ...

Quinoa Lentil Swiss Chard Soup

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When it comes to super foods, quinoa is most definitely a winner, at least  in my book.  Quinoa is full of nutrition, is a great source of protein and is so versatile that it works in a variety of recipes. So far I have  tried it in everything from dosas to khichdis , pulao and even payasam/ kheer. Recently for the first time I also tried quinoa in a soup for a weeknight dinner.  It worked out so well that I have already made this a couple more times already.

This soup is filling enough to be a one dish meal, just pair it with some crusty bread and you can have a complete meal. It can also easily double up as a curry and served over a bed of plain steamed rice or with some flat bread or phulkas / rotis.

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and method to make Quinoa Lentil Swiss Chard soup

1/2 cup mung beans ( whole moong)

1/2 cup split red lentils ( masoor dhal)

2 packed cups red Swiss chard cut into small pieces

1/4 cup quinoa thoroughly rinsed and drained

1 red onion cut fine

2 medium tomatoes cut into small pieces

3 Thai or Indian variety green chilies cut fine ( or to taste)

2 Tbsp oil ( I used coconut )

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

Salt to taste

3/4 tsp garam masala ( or to taste) 

to know how to make your own garam masala check out this post

1/4 tsp chili powder (optional, or to taste)

1/2 cup coconut milk

Place mung beans in a bowl,fill with water, swirl with hand and drain. Fill with fresh water and soak mung beans in sufficient water for at least 3 hours. 

 Similarly place split red lentil/masoor dhal in a bowl, fill with water, swirl with hand and drain. Fill with fresh water and soak for 15 to 30 mins. 

Rinse quinoa thoroughly in cold water and drain. I usually place quinoa in a strainer and rinse under cold running water for about a minute or so.Prep all the other veggies. Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pan. Add onion and sauté until it turns translucent. Add green chilies and ginger garlic paste and stir a few times. 

Add tomatoes and stir until it turns soft and mushy. Drain mung beans and add to the onion tomato mixture . Add a little water and allow it to cook until it softens a little.  After the mung softens just a little, add drained red lentils and quinoa. Add  Add 3 cups of water, salt to taste, garam masala and chili powder if using and simmer until the lentils and quinoa cook. Add swiss chard and simmer for a few more minutes, until the chard softens and cooks and the flavors of the soup mingle. 

Add coconut milk and mix well. Remove from heat and serve hot with bread of choice. 

This soup is versatile enough and can be served as either a curry with phulkas/ rotis/ Indian flat bread or as a dhal over a bed of plain steamed rice as well. 

If you are looking for quinoa recipes here are a few more,

Quinoa Khichdi ~ Peanut flavored quinoa

Quinoa mung dosai ~ Savory crepes

Lemon Vegetable Quinoa

Read more ...

Pindi chole ~ Pindi chana ~ Vegan Chickpeas Curry

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Pindi chole is a type of curry made with chana/ chickpeas with a light coating of spices/ gravy. It tends to be a tad bit drier than the conventional chole or chana masala. While I was reading up about this chole I came across various sources that mentioned that this chole originated in Rawalpindi. I also came across a few that stated that this kind of chole originates from villages in northern India known as pind, hence the name.  I am not sure about the origin of this chole , but I am sure about about one thing this is one amazingly tasty chole variety and I am always happy to have this on my menu :)

Just as for so many other recipes, this chole too has a lot of versions, some with onions, some without, some with tomatoes and some without,  so on and so forth. I have tried a few versions myself, but this version is the one I like the most and make most frequently.  Cooking the chickpeas with spices and tea infuses it with a light flavor and aroma from the spices and a lovely hue from the tea leaves. Try this delicious chole with some rotis/ kulchas / phulkas or even some puris/ bhatura if you are not counting calories and enjoy :)

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make Pindi choley ( Adapted from this recipe)

1 and 1/2 cups chickpeas/ kabuli chana

1 onion cut fine ( pyaaz)

1 cup tomato purée ( I needed 2 med tomatoes for this ) ( tamatar )

2 Thai or Indian variety green chilies cut fine ( or to taste ) ( hari mirch)

1 and 1/2 Tbsp oil

1 tsp  ginger garlic paste ( adrak / lehsun)
1/2 tsp chili powder (or to taste) (lal mirch)

2 tsp chana masala ( or to taste)

Salt to taste

For the spice bag

1 and 1/2 tsp loose black tea ( chai patti)

1 and 1/2 stick of cinnamon ( dalchini)

2 black cardamom ( badi elaichi)

A thin muslin cloth/ cheese cloth to make the spice bag

Soak chickpeas/ chana overnight in sufficient water. Make a spice bag/ potli with cinnamon, black cardamom and loose tea.  That is, place the spices in a thin muslin cloth, or 2 layers of cheese  cloth and make into a small bag by bringing opposite sides of the cloth and making a knot in the center. Keep this aside.

Drain chickpeas, fill with  fresh water, add 1 tsp salt and spice bag, close with a lid, place in a pressure cooker and cook until soft. It usually takes me about 4 to 5 whistles in the pressure cooker.  Allow pressure to subside before opening the cooker. Discard the spice bag and keep the cooked chickpeas aside.

Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pan. Add onions and green chilies and sauté until onions turn translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and stir a few times.

Add tomato purée, chana masala powder and stir until the mixture thickens a little. Add cooked chickpeas along with any water it was cooked in, adjust salt to taste and simmer until gravy thickens just enough to coat the chickpeas.

I forgot to take a pic of the chole just as it got done, will try and update it when I make it again :) 

Remove from heat and serve hot with phulkas / puris / bhaturas / Indian bread

If you are looking for recipes with chickpeas/ chana here are a few more

Chana Masala ~ Vegan Chickpeas curry

Chana Palak ~ Spinach and Chickpeas Curry

Chana Poha ~ Beaten rice flakes with chickpeas

Aloo Chana Chaat ~ Potato and Chickpeas Snack

Read more ...