Khichuri or Khichidi (Rice and Moong beans)

This is stick-to-your-bones kind of Indian comfort food that can easily be made on a busy weekday or if one can manage a healthy breakfast! It's vegan but packed with nutrients, protein and low-fat!

I feel blessed to be Indian, due to my inclination to vegetarianism. Though I like occasional chicken or seafood dish, its vegetarian that I crave for. Being vegetarian in India is probably the easiest than any other country. Your options go way, way beyond salad, meat substitutions or bread. All that without needing non-vegetarian broths or flavorings! 

Back to Kichidi or Kichuri, this is mildly spiced rice and mung beans dish that is ideal for a wintry day or evening! Finish it with a cup of Chai, you can rub your belly with joy! :)

The ingredient list for this is simple:

• 1 1/2 cup Basmati or Sona Masoori rice
• 3/4 cup Yellow mung dal (mung bean - without the green skin and halved, available in Indian grocery stores).
• 10 cashew halves
• 1 tbsp Jeera/Cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp black pepper corns
• 1/2 tsp Hing or asafoetida
• one or two sprigs Curry leaves - leaves separated
• 1 inch ginger chopped
• 1 - 2 cups mixed vegetables (optional)
• 1 tsp Garam Masala powder (optional)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tbsp ghee for taste and flavor

Procedure to make:

1. Wash and soak rice and mung dal for an hour. Keep aside. Though soaking is optional, the rice and dal cook well and soft if soaked.
2. Heat oil in a 5-Quart cooking pan on medium-high heat, add hing, jeera and black pepper corns. Fry for few seconds and add cashews, curry leaves and ginger. Saute for 15 seconds and add mixed vegetables and little salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes and add about 4.5 cups of water (hot water preferred). If rice and mung dal are not soaked, use 5 cups of water.
3. Cover and let the water boil. Uncover when the water is about to come to a boil. Let it cook for couple of minutes on medium heat.
4. Drain rice and dal and add to the boiling water and increase heat to medium-high. Add Garam Masala powder and mix well and let it come to boil again. Reduce heat to medium and let it cook until most of the water is absorbed. 
5. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 -15 minutes. Switch off the stove and wait another 5 minutes before you open the lid (the flavors need to marry and settle :))
6. Kichuri is best enjoyed hot with either some Indian mango pickle or simply yogurt!

 

Mejadra/Mujaddara/Mudadara/Mid-Eastern Lentils and Rice

From Ottolenghi and Tamimi's cookbook "Jerusalem"

You will need basmati rice, green/brown lentils, onions, all purpose flour, cumin & coriander (cilantro) seeds, all-spice, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper powders, cinnamon stick, star anise, sugar, salt to taste, oil to fry and cook.

Cook lentils in water. Bring the water to boil and then cook for about 12 minutes. Keep lentils aside.

Meanwhile, slice onions somewhat fine. Mix salt and all purpose flour to coat onions.

Heat enough oil to fry onions.  Fry onions to brown on medium heat in batches. 

Drain the onions in colander lined with paper towel.

In the same pan, take enough oil (remove if excess), fry the whole spices, add rice, powder spices, salt, sugar. Mix well to coat the rice well.

Pour hot water.

Cook until most of the water is absorbed, add drained lentils.

Cover and cook on very low flame

Serve the rice & lentils with chopped cilantro and the fried onions.:)

Oats vegetable pulao

Start with heating 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp ghee, add about 10 cashew halves, 5 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 4-5 cardamom pods, 1 star anise, 1 tsp jeera. Fry until aroma comes out of the spices. Add 2 cups steel cut oats, mix well and fry until oats leave nutty aroma. Add 2 cups of mixed vegetables - including onions, 5 whole green chilies (optional)and green pepper pieces, salt to taste, mix well and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1 tsp each garam masala, coriander seed powder and red chili powder (reduce quantity of red chili powder if less spiciness is preferred)

Meanwhile, bring 3 -4 cups of water to boil.  Water quantity depends in how dry the pulao is desired.

Pour the heated water over the oats and vegetables. Mix well, adjust salt, bring down the flame to low and quickly cover the pan. Cook for 10-12 minutes.

Mix gently, serve with chopped cilantro sprinkled, and any yogurt raita.

Guthi Vankaaya (stuffed brinjal) in old-world way

Many a time, a great meal need not to include extensive list of ingredients or a complicated procedure. This is the recipe that my great-grand-aunt has always made. Two words to describe it...simply superb. Her everyday meals were made with very few ingredients and in a relaxed manner. After a day's work with farming activities, no time toiling around the stove fueled by wood. The meals she made were always full of flavor, thanks to fresher ingredients and simple cooking methods.


What you need to make this flavorful curry:

10-12 small eggplants (brinjals)
3-4 sprigs curry leaves
a handful of cilantro, chopped coarsely
masala Red chili powder (see below)
salt to taste
2-3 tablespoons cooking oil

Masala Red chili powder:
Usually, this powder would be made well in advance and then used daily in cooking.
2 tablespoons red chili powder
1/4 teaspoon dhania seeds, dry roasted
1/8 teaspoon jeera seeds, dry roasted
1 small garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle, powder together all the ingredients. Dry it for few minutes (moisture comes from garlic) and blend it one more time.

How to make guthi vankaaya:

• Pick brijals without any bugs. Trim the ends. Place them in a heavy bottomed, wide skillet. Arrange them in a single layer and pour the oil on top. Cover with lid and saute on medium heat till the brinjals (eggplants) are cooked well on one side. This might take 5-7 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low, and turn each brnjal so that the other side can cook. Bring back the flame to medium-high, cover with lid and cook until the other side also coked well.
• Remove from stove, cool a little.
  Take out all the brinjals from the skillet. Puncture each brinjal in the middle without breaking it into pieces. Put 1/4 teaspoon (to 1/2 teaspoon) masala red chili powder in the puncture. Close gently ( it would not close all the way...that's ok).
• Return the same skillet back to medium heat. Add curry leaves and cilantro, salt. Saute until curry leaves are fried well. Place the brinjals back in the skillet and saute gently. Lower the heat, cook for a minute and remove from heat.

Best way to enjoy this is, mash the brinjal and mix very well with rice. Adjust salt (usually this dish will have less salt as the brinjals are roasted full). You may add a teaspoon of ghee (clarified butter). Yum!

Chapati (Indian layered flat bread)

A staple on Indian dinner tables that goes with pretty much every curry or simply spiced yogurt!

Ingredients needed:

• Atta (available in Indian grocery stores, can be substituted with whole-wheat powder) 
• Salt to taste
• Oil for shallow frying

Begin with mixing Atta with salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add water. Mix well by adding more water or flour to get a consistency that is not to tough or too sticky. Cover and keep aside for about 30 minutes. Knead the dough with clean hands for 4 - 5 minutes.

 

Make medium-large lemon sized balls, flatten them round (you can flatten the balls on a surface dusted with flour or basted with oil). Rub a few drops of oil to cover the surface of the round, fold it to half and fold it again to form quarter circle. Make these quarter circles with rest of the dough, keep them aside either dusted or oiled so they do not stick to each other. 

Take one of the quarter circles and flatten out evenly taking care - by dusting or oiling- so that it will not stick to the surface.

Heat (on medium-high) and grease a griddle (or tava) lightly, place the flatten chapati. Dot with few drops of oil on the edges and on top. Once you see the air bubble expanding to most of the chapati, turn it so the other side can be cooked. Adjust heat so the chapati do not get burned.

Repeat flattening and cooking with all the quarter circles. Serve warm with any curry or spiced yogurt.

Kung Pao Tofu

Cold winters call for warm meals. Few days back, I was craving something spicy, filling, healthy, all the good things one can ask in a meal. Oh, of course, it has to be easy and quick to make :-)
Once you make this dish, you'll agree with me that it has met all those expectations!  Caution though! This will spoil you to an extent that the salty-greasy sauce laden kung-pao dishes in restaurants will be of a thing in the past!

What you need:

1 pack firm Tofu, drained well, cubed into bite sized pieces
2 egg whites (optional)
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 dry red chillies
1/2 - 3/4 cup Kung Pao Sauce
1 cup carrots, cut into bite sized pieces. (I used baby carrots)
1/2 cup spring onions (scallions), chopped
two fistfuls unsalted roasted peanuts
Salt and ground pepper for taste


How to make:

• Make Sauce following the recipe or use one that was made before. If the sauce is cold, heat it on low heat.
• Whisk egg whites, and pour it over tofu pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a wok, heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil on high heat. Add tofu pieces. Saute until they are crisp outside, but soft inside. Take tofu out and keep aside. Coating with egg whites gives Tofu a velvety appearance and a delicate taste.

• In the same wok, heat rest of the oil, add red chillies. Add tofu back, add carrots, kung pao sauce, peanuts. Mix gently and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add shallots, saute for 10-15 seconds.
• Serve hot with steamed rice. Yum!!

Punjabi Kichdi - Rice and Mung lentil preparation, Punjabi style

Guthivankaya (with Thai eggplants)

(Stuffed eggplants in poppy seed-peanut sauce)Ask a group of four people from Andhra how to make guthivankaya, you'll be bombarded with at least 25 recipes. Brinjal, the way eggplant is referred in India, is very dear to a person from Andhra. Since old times, at least one variety of brinjal dish would make appearance in small or large feasts. "Pappannam", playfully referred to wedding lunch/dinner, is incomplete without a brinjal dish. Such is importance of eggplant in Andhra.
It is a delight to know that this month's JFI vegetable is eggplant. JFI, started by Indira of Mahanandi, hosted by Sangeeta of Ghar ka Khana
This dish is made by my sister, LP, who is visiting me at present; and, is my entry for JFI-Eggplant.


What you need to make this dish:

8 Thai eggplants
3 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped finely
1 medium tomato, chopped finely
2-4 green chilies, slit
Salt to taste
tadka items: 1tsp each of chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves from one sprig
Fresh cilantro, for garnishing

To be ground into paste:
1 fistful peanuts/groundnuts
4-6 dry red chilies
1 tsp coriander/dhania seeds
1/2 tsp cumin/jeera seeds
2 tbsp khuskhus/poppy seeds
1 + 1/2 tbsp raw tamarind or 1 tsp tamarind paste
2 cloves garlic
Salt to taste

Prep Work:
Soak Tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water for 10-15 minutes. Mash little bit before adding it to the blender.
Soak poppy seeds in 1/4 cup water for 10-15 minutes. Discard the water.
Dry roast peanuts. Remove skins if any. Keep aside.
Dry roast dhania seeds, jeera seeds, red chilies until done.
Take all items listed for the paste in a blender, blend to get a semi-smooth thick paste. Do not add too much water. Add only the amount required for the blender to move (this includes the tamarind water).

Method:

• Wash eggplants, cut into quarters without separating. Place the cut eggplants in a salted water bowl to keep them from discoloring.
• Take one eggplant out, squeeze well, stuff it with the paste made. Keep aside. Repeat this with rest of eggplants. Keep aside the remaining paste.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add eggplants, stir carefully to coat them with oil. Cover and cook until the eggplants are almost done, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the eggplants from the skillet, keep aside.
• In the same skillet, add remaining oil, heat it to medium heat. Add tadka items one by one. When the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add onions, green chilies, little salt (keep in mind that the paste has salt too). Saute until the onion is cooked to light-brown color.
• Add tomato pieces, cover and cook for 3 minutes or until done.
• Add the remaining paste and 1/4 cup water. Return the eggplants to skillet. Mix gently. Once the sauce starts simmering, reduce heat, simmer for 7-9 minutes or until the eggplants are completely done.
• Remove from heat, garnish with fresh cilantro, serve with steamed rice or roti.

Served with rice

Shopping Notes: Choose young Thai eggplants with thick stems. The ones with thin stems are old ones, which are bitter and have tough seeds, not suitable for this dish. The color of the stems should be dark green, not brown with fungus :-)

Steamed bean-leaf with sesame dressing

Bean Leaf

This is a very straight-forward dish, easy to make, and full of flavor. As I posted in my last post, steaming is ideal way to bring out earthy flavors from greens.
I got the snowpea leaf from Hong Kong Market in Houston. Ever since I tasted this two years ago, I'm hooked on it. Up until recently, I used to saute it with garlic and soy sauce. Once I started steaming, I liked it, and finally bought the steamer.

What you need to make this dish:
3-4 handfuls of snowpea leaves
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
soy sauce to taste
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 -2 teaspoons sesame oil

Method:
Wash the leaves and drain well in a drainer or on a kitchen towel.
Wash the steamer with water.
Arrange the leaves in both levels of steamer. Pour 1/2 cup water in a wok and place steamer in a wok. Heat on medium heat.
Let the water boil for 3-5 mins or until the greens are done. Keep adding water little by little, but never leave the wok dry.
Remove steamer from wok. Take the greens into a serving dish.
Heat oil in a small skillet, add garlic, sesame seeds, red chili flakes. Saute for 30 seconds. Add soy sauce. Saute for another 30 sec. Pour over greens. Mix gently. Serve with steamed white or brown or fried rice.

Amchi Mumbai Street Food - Aloo Tikki with Ragda

(....A.k.a Chaat or ragda patties...)

When I first visited Mumbai, the only thing I liked is the street food. Next time, I fell in love with the city itself; bustling with life, busy and hard working people trying to make ends meet. It is a good way to unwind the day's stress with a vada-pav or pav-bhaji or ragda-patti or pani-puri etc etc and piping hot chai. What separates an outsider from the city crowd is the bewildered look on his/her face while watching the street-wallah churning up these delicacies :-) Many of these street vendors have improved their hygiene in the recent past so we can devour these all time favs.

For Tikkies:
2 medium-sized boiled potatoes
3-4 baby carrots
1 green chili
salt to taste
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
enough oil to shallow-fry the tikkies
3-4 tbsp sooji or rava

For Ragda:
1.5 cups whole dried yellow peas
salt to taste
3 - 4 cups water
1 tsp chaat masala
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 - 1 tsp red chili powder
1 medium tomato, chopped fine
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp mint leaves, finely chopped
a pinch jaggery
1 tsp finely chopped cilnatro

Prep Work:
Pick and wash the peas. Soak for 2 hours.
Take all the ingredients listed under Tikkies except for rava (sooji), and oil in a food processor. Process until it becomes corase somewhat dry paste. Do not add any water. Make lemon sized balls, flatten evenly, sprinkle lightly with sooji on both sides, and keep aside.

Method:
To make Tikkies:
Heat a tablespoon of cooking oil in a skillet. Shallow-fry the tikkies 3 mins each on both sides or until they are golden brown. Sprinkle oil now and then if required. Finish all the tikkies, place them on a kitchen towel.

To make Ragda:

• Drain peas. Add 2-3 cups water and pressure cook for 1-3 whistles or until they are well-done.
• While they are still hot, add salt and half of chaat masala and keep aside
• In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add jeera, half of onions, turmeric powder. When the onions become translucent, add half of tomatoes. Add Salt, remaining chaat masala powder, mint leaves, jaggery, red chili powder.
• Cook until done. Remove from heat, cool for a while. Blend into smooth puree. Return to stove, add the cooked peas, mix gently. Cook until it starts simmering. Reduce the heat to lowest setting and simmer for 3 min.
• Remove from heat. Cool for a while.
• If the ragda is too thin, mash some of it and simmer for few more minutes.

For serving, serve two to three tikkies per person and a ladle or two ragda. Garnish with chopped onions, tomatoes and cilantro.

My contribution for RCI - Mahararashtrian Cuisine

Menthi Pappu - from Rathanaalaseema ~ Rayalaseema

(Pigeons peas with fenugreek seeds)

There are numerous lentils/legumes preparations all over India. One preparation stands out in the lot is this Pappu. Most of the daals in Andhra are made with incorporating some sort of greens or vegetables. But, this one is made with fenugreek seeds (menthulu/methi seeds)! I learnt this recipe from my dear friend, Veena, who is also from Rayalaseema like my extended family. This is very much unknown to me before my marriage. It almost resembles in smell and taste with plain dal mixed with Avakaya. And, this is a spicy daal. The heat from red chilies balances bitterness of fenugreek seeds. Don't even think of taming the spiciness; making this less spicy will only result an unappetizing and bitter daal.

What you need to make this pappu:

1 cup toor daal (pigeon peas)
6-7 dried red chilies
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp tamarind or 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Salt to taste
1-2 tbsp cooking oil

Prep work:
Pick and wash toor daal. Soak in water. Drain and keep aside.

Method:

1. In a skillet, heat cooking oil on medium heat. Add red chilies, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds. Once a nice aroma starts coming, add toor daal. Mix well.
2. Add 2-3 cups of water. Cook until daal is almost done. Add garlic cloves, simmer for 2-3 mins.
3. Add tamarind. Cook until daal is fully done and tamarind is soft.

or, you may do this in a pressure cooker: after step 1, add water, place garlic and tamarind on top of the water so that the tamarind wouldn't touch the daal. Close the lid and cook for 3 whistles or until the daal is cooked well.

4. Remove from heat, add salt and mash well. Serve with steamed rice or roti.

Pressure-cooked Menthi Pappu

Menthi pappu served with roti and brinjal curry.My contribution for RCI - Andhra Cuisine

Bengaluru Mirapa - Senagapindi

(Bell Pepper Curry - Andhra Style)


This is a heavenly, fragrant curry that can be made with not so much effort. I make this variety of preparation whenever I crave for authentic Andhra fare, but short on time and energy. From prep work till serving this dish with a delicious meal takes only 30 minutes (Rachel Ray-ish).

RCI (Regional Cuisines of India), a brilliant event was started by Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine. I misses RCI-Tamil Cuisine, which I love. This time, its RCI-Andhra, my native cuisine, hosted by Latha. So, this month, its a parade of Andhra food. yay!


What you need to make this Curry:

2-3 medium green bell peppers
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 green chili, sliced
1/2 -3/4 cup gram flour or chick-pea flour (sengapindi)
1-2 tsp red chili powder
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
Salt to taste
1-2 tbsp chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)

Tadka/Seasoning Items:

3-4 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp each chana dal, urad dal
1 tsp each mustard seeds, cumin seeds
1-2 sprigs curry leaves
one or two pinches hing powder

Prep Work:
-Wash the bell peppers, core them, and dice them into small bite sized pieces. The core with stem should be discarded; the core with seeds can be used.
-Roast jeera seeds until they leave nice aroma. Cool, keep aside.
-If using flour from puffed chickpeas, no need to roast the flour.
-If using raw flour, roast on a low flame until it leaves nice aroma.
-Pound flour, cumin seeds, garlic cloves together to a breadcrumbs like consistency. Add little water to make thick paste of pouring consistency

Method:

• Heat a skillet , add oil. When the oil starts 'dancing', add tadka items in the order they are given.
• Once the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add onions, green chili. Saute for 1-2 minutes or until the onions become translucent.
• Add bell pepper pieces, salt, mix well; cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, occasionally mixing.
• Salt will make the bell peppers cook faster. Once cooked soft, but not mushy, add the flour mixture. Mix well by turning gently. Cook until the flour mixture is thickened and a light brown crust is formed. Do not turn a lot during this time.
• Serve with steamed rice and rasam

From Guntur - Kakarakaaya Bellam Vepudu- RCI- Andhra Cuisine

(Bitter gourd with jaggery)
'Vepudu' on Telugu is a dry curry, vegetables or meat are cooked until the water content is evaporated. The end result is a semi-crispy vegetables or meat packed with flavor.
Bitter gourd is one vegetable that needs some skill to make a tasty dish out of it. One small mistake or neglect would result a very unappetizing preparation. The preparation of a good bitter-gourd dish starts with selecting right gourds. Choose gourds which are not too young (no flavor) or too bulky and old (hard to cook, bitterness is too harsh).
There are numerous ways that karela can be prepared; but, this one is close to my heart, as it blends most of the 6 tastes (Salt, Pungency, Bitterness, Sweet, Astringent, Sourness)

What you need to make this 'Vepudu':

6-7 medium sized bitter-gourds (karelas)
1/4 medium onion, sliced
2 green chilies, chopped
1-2 tbsp jaggery
2 tbsp turmeric powder (I'm not out of my mind :-) Please see under Prep Work)
2 cloves garlic
1-2 tsp red chili powder (depending on tolerance)
5 tbsp cooking oil
Salt to taste
and tadka items: 1tsp each chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, cimun seeds, two sprigs curry leaves

Prep Work:
-Quarter karelas, and slice into 1/4th inch thick pieces. Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder, rub well, keep aside for 30 minutes. As the salt and turmeric powder are absorbed, salt brings out the excess water in the karelas, turmeric powder, adds a fabulous flavor.
-Squeeze well either by hand or in a kitchen towel and then squeezing; either way, the pieces should look wilted by the end.
-Grind garlic cloves and red chili powder together.(Mortar and Pestle or a back of spoon work better than a food processor/blender)

Method:

• Heat oil in a wide skillet or wok. Add the tadka items in the order given.
• Add the karela pieces, mix well. Cook for 15 minutes on medium heat, turning occasionally. The karela pieces should be done half-way through.
• Add onion and green chilies. Mix well and cook for another 15 minutes or until the karela pieces are well-cooked, i.e., the pieces are soft to bite with a crispy outer layer, doesn't feel like a piece of mulch when you bite.
• Add chili powder mixture and jaggery. Mix well and cook for another minute or two.
• Serve with rice and mudda pappu (plain boiled toor dal/pigeon peas) with a spoon of ghee.


My contribution for RCI-Andhra Cuisine.

Baby Lima beans Curry

This is a quick to make curry, that is delicious with rice or any flat bread.

What you need to make this curry:

1 packet (around 1lb) frozen Baby Lima Beans
1 medium sized onion, chopped
2 green chilies, sliced
2-3 medium sized tomatoes
½ -1 tsp red chili powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp chopped cilantro

For Tadka/Talimpu/seasoning:

2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp each, Chana dal, Urad dal (optional)
1 tsp each, mustard seeds, cumin seeds
1 sprig, curry leaves

Grind to paste:
1-inch ginger piece
2 cloves garlic

Prep Work:
Thaw frozen baby lima beans by leaving the packet in tap water for 30 minutes.
Peel ginger; make a coarse paste of ginger and garlic.

Method:

• In a saucepan, heat oil; add the tadka items in the order given, one by one. Once the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add chopped onion, green chilies, and turmeric powder. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or, until the onions become translucent.
• Add tomatoes, lima beans, salt and red chili powder. Mix well and cook covered on medium heat until the tomatoes cooked well to a pulpy consistency.
• Add ginger-garlic paste, mix well. Adjust salt. Cook for another 3 minutes on low heat.
• This curry should not be very runny. If it is, cook uncovered for 5 min, stirring.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Note: If using store bought ginger-garlic paste, add it along with onions rather than at the end. Same applies for pre-made, refrigerated one.

Methi Bhath (Rice with Fenugreek leaves) with tomato raitha

Methi in a pot... from backyard

I learnt about this rice preparation from my friend and neighbor, UB. This is my take on it.
What you need make this Bhath:

2 cups good quality Basmati rice
2 medium bunches of fenugreek leaves. Should roughly be 1 cup, packed.
6-7 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks, 1 inch each
5-6 cardamom pods
2-3 dried bay leaves
2 star anise
1 medium sized tomato, diced finely
1/2 medium sized onion, sliced finely
4 green chilies, slit in the middle
1 tsp Ghee (clarified butter)
1-2 tbsp cooking oil
Salt to taste
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp, finely chopped fresh cilantro

To be ground into masala paste:

1 tsp dhania seeds (dry coriander seeds)
2 cloves
1-2 cardamom pods
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
a pinch jeera seeds
1 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp garlic paste
2 tbsp grated fresh coconut

Prep Work:
Wash Basmati rice, soak in water (enough to cover 1 inch above rice level) for 30 minutes
Roast all ingredients listed under the masala paste except for ginger, garlic, coconut. Start roasting dhania seeds and keep adding other ingredients in the order given
Once the spices are cooled, grind them into a semi-smooth paste.

Method:

• Drain Basmati rice. Boil in 5-6 cups of water. Once its more than half way thru, drain excess water, cover and cook on a very low flame until its done. When to drain, mash one grain between fingers, if it is soft outside and only a small strain is raw inside, that's the time to drain.
• Cool rice for 15 min.
• In a wide sautepan, heat ghee and cooking oil on medium-high heat.
• Add bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, star anise. Saute for a minute
• Add onion and green chilies, little salt. Saute until the onions become translucent and light brown.
• Add ground masala paste and red chili powder. Saute for 1/2 minute, stirring continuously.
• Add methi (fenugreek) leaves. Saute until the leaves are wilted, stirring continuously so that leaves would form lumps.
• Add diced tomato. Saute until the tomatoes start become like a paste.
• Add the cooked rice, salt and cilantro. Fold gently, break open any lumps formed by the methi leaves.
• Cook covered on a low setting for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Serve with tomato raitha

My entry for JFI-Green Leafy Vegetables, Methi Bhath with Tomato Raitha.

Tomato Raitha:
Chop 1/2 tomato, 1-2 green chilies. Mix, add yogurt and 1-2 tbsp water to make 1.5 cups raitha. Add salt to taste, mix well. Serve with any rice dish like pulao, biryani.

Spaghetti with Spinach pesto and Asparagus

Presto Pasta Nights

Two days back dinner was spaghetti with spinach pesto. I have been toying with the idea of making pesto with spinach, but, was skeptical how it would taste. And then, I saw on some show (sorry forgot the name....oops) baked fish served on green pea paste. I was thinking, if a paste of frozen green peas (thawed, of course) could taste good, my spinach pesto should also taste good (not sure what kind of psychological logic this would qualify under....may be just meanness? :-) )
So, I set out making spinach pesto, within seconds, realized, no pine nuts! I found some peanuts and some cashews. Dismissed peanuts as I couldn't contemplate the taste of peanuts, spinach and basil together (must try some other time). Finally decided on cashews. The result is spinach-Cashew pesto, which is out of this world. I would highly recommend trying out this pesto; you won't be disappointed.

What you need to make this spaghetti dish:

1 package spaghetti (I used whole-wheat)
4 asparagus stalks
1 medium sized tomato
salt and black pepper powder to taste
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried basil leaves

To make Pesto:

5-6 fistfuls fresh baby spinach
1 fistful fresh basil leaves
3-4 medium sized garlic cloves, peeled
1/4-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 fistful cashews, dry roasted
salt to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, enough to make pesto
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
2 pinches red chili flakes (optional)

Prep work:
Break Asparagus where the stalk breaks, cu into 1-inch pieces.
Since the fiber in Asparagus in the skin, do not discard the tough piece. Peel it and use with rest.
Dice tomato.

Method:

• Make pesto by either grinding in mortar and pestle or in food processor. Start with spinach, basil leaves, cashews, salt, garlic, pepper, red pepper flakes. Keep adding olive oil to get manageable coarse paste. Add Parmesan cheese, blend lightly.
• Boil Spaghetti as per directions on the package. Take Spaghetti out into a bowl with tongs. Pour some 'spaghetti water' (water in which its cooked) over to prevent sticky spaghetti.
• In the same water, cook asparagus for 2-3 minutes until its done, but crunchy to bite. Take out and add immediately to ice cold water. Once cooled, drain and keep aside
• In a wide sautepan, heat a teaspoon of olive oil. Add dried basil, Asparagus, Spaghetti. Mix well.
• Add one cup 'spaghetti water' and pesto. Break pesto carefully and fold gently so that it coats spaghetti well. You may add some olive oil to ease the folding. Adjust salt and pepper.
• Serve immediately, garnished with diced tomatoes.