Beluga Lentil Salad

If you are like me who likes the flavor of lentil curry but wish to have a dried version that gets carried well through the day or may be on a picnic day, you are in a right place. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Beluga lentils
• 1/2 medium red onion chopped
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 2 tbsp capers

Dressing

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tbsp mustard
• 2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tsp crushed black pepper
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

Topping

• Baby arugula

INSTRUCTIONS

• Rinse the lentils and drain well, place it in a pan and cover 3-4 inches above with water. Bring to boil and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Make sure you don't overcook, they should still have a bite to it.
• While the lentils are cooking, mix all the dressing ingredients together and stir well
• When they are done cooking, run them through cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Add the dressing, chopped red onion, raisins and capers to the lentils.
• Add arugula or any other greens just before serving the salad.

Inspired from My New Roots.

Mung Bean Quinoa Wraps!

Sometime last month of the last year I posted Lettuce Wraps with Quinoa, Green Mung Bean Sprouts and Guacamole and back then I promised that I will be posting Mung Bean Quinoa chillas that you can use instead of lettuce leaves to wrap things in. So here it goes!!!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup of sprouted whole green mung beans
• 1/2 cup of red or white quinoa soaked in water for 4 hours minimum
• 3 tbsp white rice flour (Just to add some crispiness, but you can totally skip it if you want.)
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger
• 1 small green chilly
• Salt to taste.

INSTRUCTIONS

• Drain all the water from quinoa and grind all the ingredients in a blender. Make sure you add just a little bit of water. The batter should be of a spreadable consistency, not too thick not to runny. Check and add more if needed.
• On a heated pan, start pouring a spoonful of batter and start spreading around to make a round. about 3 minutes on each side and it should have a nice golden red color.

They are also great with my Minty Guacamole Edemame Hummus or Beet Yogurt Dip or Simple Guacamole!

Thai Curry with Vegetables!

Happy New Year to all my readers and followers! May this new year brings whatever you wish for!

Let me start off by declaring the intention of posting at least a recipe per week for the rest of the year. This is one of the resolutions that I have set for myself for the year 2015. I love the refreshing start of the new year, where everyone has opportunity to reflect on their goals for the last year, change any if needed and then try to stick to the new ones you have on the list. It's a wonderful process!

On that note ....let's move on to the first recipe for the year 2015!!!

A couple of my friends have been asking for the thai recipes. So here I am making their wish come true, posting one of the simple thai curries I make at least once every 2 weeks. It's delicious and perfect for those busy weeknights. I don't use tofu every time I make this curry because of the all the controversies around it. Also I don't really enjoy tofu very much. I replace it with chicken or sometimes just vegetables with more mushrooms in it to give the dish a meaty consistency.

Just cook up some rice in a presser cooker and make this delicious, versatile Vegetable Thai Curry in less than 20 minutes.

Thai food in general is very easy to make especially with the help of thai curry pastes that are available in the market. All of the flavors are packed in those bottles and when blended with thick coconut milk, all that is needed is good appetite :)


INGREDIENTS

• 1 can of coconut milk
• Thai curry paste- about 4-5 tbsp. red/ yellow/ green. I used red for this recipe
• 1 tbsp of fish sauce
• 2-3 tbsp roasted grounded peanuts 
• 1 tbsp of lime juice
• 2 tbsp of brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of water or vegetable broth.
• Chopped vegetables of your choice- I used broccoli, bok choy and mushrooms
• Tofu cut into cubes.
• Salt to taste.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix the sugar , lemon juice and fish sauce in a bowl and keep aside. 
2. Pour in the coconut milk in to a pan and heat it up. When the coconut milk reaches a gentle simmer stir in the thai curry paste.
3. Then add the vegetables and let it all cook up for about 7-8 minutes until the veggies are almost done. Also add in the tofu at this point and the peanuts as well.
4. Add the sugar and fish sauce mixture and let it all heat up for about 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the water or the broth to thin out the curry as much as needed. Bring to a simmer again.
6. Serve over rice or noodles.

NOTES

• You can also use carrots, snap peas, onions, bell peppers, bamboo shoots, baby corns, potatoes, eggplant.....you get the point!
• Adding fish sauce might put some people off. But don't worry it doesn't taste like all fish. It just gives more deeper flavor to the dish with a little bit of extra saltiness.
• The more you simmer the curry, the more thick and creamy it becomes so if you want to simmer it for a longer time, don't add the vegetables to early in the process. Just add them in for the last 8-10 minutes or so. Then thin out the curry with water as needed.
• If you are a vegetarian or a vegan, try swapping soy sauce, hoisin sauce for the fish sauce.

Lettuce Wraps with Quinoa, Green Mung Bean Sprouts and Guacamole!

I hope you all had a great Christmas! Christmas is the time to enjoy with family and of course food. It is one of those occasions in a year where we all indulge a little or a little too much! 

Now that it's over why not nourish your body with some amazing lettuce wraps!

Here is what you will need-:

• Lettuce leaves as many as you need for the wraps
• 1 cup cooked quinoa- cook it as per instructions, add a pinch of red chilly powder and a pinch of salt while cooking.
• 1/2 cup green mung bean sprouts- steamed with a pinch of salty water.
• 2 avocados
• 5/6 cherry tomatoes halved
• Lemon Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
• 1/2 white onion chopped
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• Salt and crushed black pepper
• cilantro
• Organic GMO free Corn chips to top it off for some crunchiness

• Prepare guacamole- In a bowl, mix in chopped avocados, tomatoes, onion, coriander powder, lemon juice,  chopped cilantro, salt and pepper.  Mash them up. Set aside.
• That's it. Starting with quinoa, guacamole, bean sprouts, assemble everything on a lettuce leaf, roll and eat! Crack up some chips on the top.

Variations-:

If you are not a lettuce leaf fan, alternatively you can try making some quinoa and bean sprouts chillas shown in the picture. Chop some lettuce and mix in with the guacamole and other toppings. Please stay tuned for the recipe. In the mean time you can  try making Green Mung Bean Chillas or my Spring Onion/ Scallion Pancakes and use those as wraps as well.

Pick me up Please!!!

Homemade Hemp Milk!

Ever heard of Hemp Seeds??

If you are looking for a quick dairy-free milk alternative, you are in a right place! I am always on a lookout for a dairy free milk options and I make almond milk almost every week. Unlike almond milk, hemp seeds doesn't need soaking before blending, making it a very convenient last minute snack option. Hemp milk is delicious smooth, rich, creamy and it tastes amazing in smoothies. It it an excellent alternative for people suffering with nut and dairy allergies.

Hemp seeds are excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, proteins and all the 10 essential amino acids along with potassium, calcium,phosphorous, magnesium, vitamin A and magnesium. Have I already sold it enough for you? 

Wait.. there is more!

Hemp seeds have anti-inflammatory properties which helps to repair tissues especially after exercise. So carry a nice big jar of homemade hemp milk when you hit the gym or go for a run next time!

Hemp seeds are highly digestible by the body and they are known as immune booster.

Here is what you will need-:

• 1 cup raw shelled hemp seeds
• 3 cup of water
• 2-3 tbsp of maple syrup
• 3-4 strands of saffron
• 1tsp of alcohol free vanilla extract

This is a very basic recipe. You can alter this recipe any which way you like. After you try it for a couple of times, you will know what things you like mixing in it and what others you want to replace to make it to your own taste.

1. Place the seeds and the water into the blender. Start blending at low speed and quickly move up to high speed for about a minute.
2. Strain using a nut-milk bag which can be found at any health food store or online.
3. Add your choice of sweetener. You can also add dates or honey instead of maple syrup. If adding dates you need to soak the pitted dates for 10 minutes and then add them while blending the milk in step 1. For maple syrup you can just mix it up after blending. Also add saffron and the vanilla extract.
4. The milk can be stored in a glass jar for about 2-3 days.

Some variations-:

• You can flavor your milk with cinnamon, cacao or a pinch of turmeric for flavor as well as beautiful color and some turmeric goodness.
• To make the milk more creamier, add 1-2 tbsp of coconut butter to it while blending. It tastes even more delicious that way!
• Try adding sunflower seed butter or almond butter while blending to make it more nuttier if you like. Personally I think hemp seeds have nutty taste and doesn't need any other strong flavors.

Try Peanut butter banana smoothie by replacing soy milk with homemade hemp milk or Blueberry smoothie.

 How about overnight oats mixed with homemade hemp milk for breakfast tomorrow?

Green Mung Bean Chilla with Carrots and Radish Ribbons and Peas Tossed with Simple Lemon Dressing.

How colorful is your meal today?

While I was going through my pictures, I found this long pending picture of bright colors. I enjoyed preparing this meal as much as I enjoyed eating. The Green Mung Bean Chilla is my all time favorite. I always add different vegetables to the chilla batter like spinach, fenugreek leaves(methi), carrots, shredded cabbage, onions, zucchini, tomatoes, thinly sliced green beans and such. In this preparation I tried to balance the colors of the dish by mixing spinach in the batter and bright white and orange salad on the side.

Nutritional Benefits-:

Green Mung Beans- 

• They are also know as green gram. They are famous for the protein that they have in them, but apart from that, green mung beans are also awesome source of iron. 
• They are also high in folate, which is water soluble vitamin-B necessary in production of new cells, DNA and RNA. 
• It's even better to sprout and then use them, as vitamin C which is found in sprouts is missing in the beans.

Carrots-

• This crunchy and deliciously sweet root vegetable has ample amounts of  beta-carotene, vitamin -A, Vitamin K, minerals and anti- oxidants.
• Carrots have tons of nutritional value attached to it. Vision health, anti- cancer benefits, cardiovascular benefits to name a few.

Radish-:

• Another root vegetable high in Vitamin C.
• Radish is excellent for digestion as it stimulates digestive juices.
• They are beneficial for symptoms of flu, cold, cough, respiratory problem.
• Radishes can dissolve phlegm, reinforce energy as well as clear a stuffy nose.
• White radishes (the root and the leaves) work as natural antibiotics against some bacteria.
• Radish is a good mouth and breath freshener, laxative, regulates metabolism, improves blood circulation.

There is an old saying about radishes - "When radishes come to market, nobody will go to pharmacies."

Chilla is traditionally made up of besan (gram flour) and spices. In this recipe, I haven't added besan at all. The batter is made up of sprouted green mung daal and soaked rice ground together with some chopped spinach thrown in it.

I have also added some ginger and garlic paste along with cumin and coriander powder. 

Soaking time-:Overnight/ 5-6 hours at least

Sprouting time-8-10 hours, depending on the weather.

Preparation time-:15 minutes.

Cooking time-:15 minutes

Serves 3-4 people

Ingredients-:

For chilla-

1. Soaked sprouted green mung daal-1 cup
2. Soaked rice- 1/2 cup or more if you want your chilla to be crispy.
3. Ginger- 1/2 inch piece
4. Garlic-1/2 inch piece
5. Chilies-1small
6. Chopped spinach-3/4th cup
7. Cumin and coriander powder-1/2 tbsp each
8. Salt to taste
9. Oil for spraying 

For the salad-:

1. Carrots- 1 medium
2. White Radish-1 medium
3. Peas- a handful
4. Lemon juice-juice of half a lemon
5. Salt and black pepper to taste.

Procedure-:

• Add the soaked rice and sprouted mung beans to the blender. Add ginger, garlic, salt, chilies and blend everything well.
• Pour in to a pot and add cumin and coriander powder, chopped spinach to the batter and mix well.
• Heat a griddle / tawa over medium heat and once it is hot, with the help of a ladle start spreading a the batter on the tawa.
• Let it cook on one side for about 3 minutes and then flip and cook the other side.

Putting the salad together-:

• Peel the carrots and radish from all sides and make the ribbons out of them.
• Toss them together along with peas
• Mix some lemon juice with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour it on top of mixed radish, carrots and peas.

This is a perfect meal to eat with your eyes first!!!

The eye pleasing meal is headed to 2 events.

1. Dish it out- Lentils/legumes and vegetables
   
2. Breakfast recipes- from My Culinary Creations.

Nutritional Benefits Source-:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_Benefits_of_white_radish
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21

Tawa Bhendi Masala

Who doesn't like Bhendi/Bhindi/ Okra/ Lady's fingers/ gumbo??? It has a pleasant, mild taste and so it can really take any kind of masalas you can think of. I make bhendi in 3 different ways-:

1. Bhendi fry- Which is stuffed with masalas and deep fried. I make it occasionally as it is deep fried.
2. Masala Bhendi- Cut okra in a slightly big pieces and then stuff it with gram flour along with bunch of other spices. Sometimes I also put potatoes in this preparation, when I am short on Bhindi.
3. Chinch gulachi bhendi- This is a very traditional maharashtrian version of preparing bhendi. It is kind of curry, which has jaggery (gul) and tamarind(chinch) in it. I am hoping to post this version in the near future.

Nutritional Benefits-:

• Bhendi contains healthy amounts of Vitamin A and flavonoid anti-oxidants such as beta carotine, xanthine and lutein. Our bodies convert beta-carotene to Vitamin A.We all need vitamin A for healthy skin, immune system,good eye health and vision. When it comes to vitamin A, it's always a good idea to have more beta- carotene rich food than to consume supplements. Excess amount of vitamin A from the supplements, makes our bodies toxic.
• They are also excellent source of Vitamin C.
• The pods are also good source of important minerals like iron, calcium, manganese and magnesium.

Today, the recipe I am going to share with you is a little twist to Masala Bhendi. Tawa Bhindi Masala. Tawa is a fry pan which is round in shape, you can find it in any Indian kitchen as it is used to make roti's (Indian Flatbread) everyday. This recipe is very simple to make, and that's why this is the recipe for someone who is a newbie and would love to get into adventures of Indian cooking.

Preparation Time-: 10 Minutes

Cooking Time-: 15 Minutes

Serves- 2 people as a side dish.

Ingredients-:

1. Fresh Okra/ Bhendi- 200 grams/ about 20-25 pods. Cut the top stem and discard and then slice the remaining into thin pieces.
2. Tomato- 1 medium sized diced
3. Onion- 1 small finely chopped
4. Cumin Powder- 2 tsp
5. Coriander Powder- 2 tsp
6. Turmeric- 1 tsp
7. Red chilly powder- 1/2- 1 tsp, depending on how spicy you like.
8. Cumin Seeds- 1tsp
9. Asafoetida- a pinch
10. Cilantro- for garnishing.
11. Salt to taste

Procedure-:

• Heat some oil on Tawa. Add Cumin seeds, asafoetida, turmeric and mix well.
• Add chopped onion, saute.
• Add chopped tomatoes, Saute.
• After about 5 minutes when the onions and tomatoes become translucent, add the sliced bhindi.
• When bhindi gets cooked, add the spices(cumin and coriander) and the salt.
• Garnish with cilantro.

If you want you can certainly put other masalas like Garam masala. I usually don't because I like the mild taste of cumin and coriander powder, which I think goes well with the Bhendi. 

If you want you can add tomatoes or add lemon for the sourness.

Few Things you have to keep in mind  while cooking bhindi-:

1. Never put a lid on bhindi while cooking as it will retain the moisture and will make it sticky.
2. Always add something sour to bhindi preparation, it helps to reduce the stickiness.
3. If you are adding lemon instead of tomatoes, always add at the end of the preparation when you turn off the stove.

You might have guessed by now that Bhindi is a sticky vegetable:) So stick with it and it will nourish you!

Raw Mango with Chana Dal / Kairichi Dal

Raw mango is definitely not in season, but I found a really nice green raw mango at whole foods last week and couldn't resist myself from buying. On my way home I was thinking about delicious Kairichi dal( Raw mango with chana dal) that my mom used to make in summer. I am a big fan of raw mango, not the one we get here but the one that I used to eat back in India. Really tangy and tarty! Yum!!!
Without thinking twice, I came home and soaked chana dal and waited  for four hours to get started.:)

Ingredients-:

• 1 cup of chana dal soaked minimum 4 hours.
• 1/2 cup of shredded raw mango
• 1 green chilli- chopped
• 1 dried red chili
• 3 tbsp of shredded fresh coconut
• Few springs of cilantro
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar

For tadka/ tempering

• Oil-1/4th cup
• Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
• Turmeric- 1/2 tsp
• A generous pinch of asafoetida
• 5-6 curry leaves

Method-:

• Drain the soaked chana dal and pat it with a paper towel to get rid of most of the moisture.
• In a blender, add the chana dal, green chilli, salt sugar and blend well.
• Add the shredded raw mango to the chana dal mixture and keep aside.
• Tadka/ tempering- In a kadai add oil, when heated add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, turmeric and curry leaves and dried red chilli. Turn off the heat.
• Pour the tadaka over the chana dal mixture and mix well.
• Sprinkle the chopped cilantro and shredded fresh coconut over the dal and serve.

Note:

• Since the dal is raw make sure you add a generous pinch of asafoetida to make the dish easy on your stomach. Also make sure to keep the portion right (light)..:)
• Also I have noticed that the raw mangoes you get here are not much sour in taste. So if you think, that you need the dal to be more on the sour side, please increase the quantity of raw mango.

Re-posting for the event hosted by Simply Food's Taste of Tropics- Mango and Chef Mirelle's Global Creation.

Minty Guacamole-Edemame Hummus

Skip the garbanzo beans this time and make some delicious flavorful, colorful hummus with avocados, edamame and few springs of mint! Delish!!!
Use it as a dip or just spread it over a toasted whole wheat bread, you can also spread it over pizza or even a burger...really the options are endless.
Here is Sun dried tomato pesto that I posted earlier, which can also be enjoyed like hummus.

I will be posting quinoa+ oats crusted pizza spread with hummus as my next post. Take a peek into it.:)

quinoa+ oats crusted pizza spread with hummus topped with onions, tomatoes and peppers

Here is what you will need to make this hummus-:

• 1 large Avocado
• 1/2 Lemon juice
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds powder
• Springs of cilantro
• Frozen thawed edamame
• 1 small tomato
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 3-4 big cloves of garlic
• Few springs of mint
• Salt to taste

Method-:

_Chop the avocado,mash it and add lemon juice, cumin seeds powder, salt to taste. 
_Mix everything well and sprinkle cilantro on top which makes your guacamole. Set aside.
_In to a blender add chopped garlic, edamame, olive oil,  tomato, mint and salt. Blend well.   
  Add water if you need to adjust the consistency.Mine needed about 1/2 cup of water.
_Mix guacamole with this blended mixture of edamame. Taste.
_Adjust the seasoning as per your taste. You can add freshly ground black pepper, just for a 
  kick.
_Ready to be relished!

Savory Coconutty Quinoa!

Excellent as a one pot meal- full of protein(Quinoa), good fat (coconut milk), vitamins and minerals(veggies)!

• 1/2 cup Quinoa
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup broccoli- cut into florets
• 1 carrot dices
• 8-10 green beans chopped
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 can of coconut milk
• Red chilly flakes- optional if you want more heat
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• Salt to taste

_Add coconut oil into a pan and let it heat. Then Add chopped veggies and toss together.

_Cover the pan and let the veggies cook for a minute or two.

_Wash the quinoa and add to the pan with all the veggies.

_Mix well and add cumin powder and curry powder.

_Now add the coconut milk, cumin powder and curry powder and salt to taste. 

_Mix well and bring everything to a boil. Keep uncovered on medium heat for about 12-15 minutes or until all the liquid gets absorbed.

_Turn the heat off and cover for 5 minutes.

_Fluff up with a fork and serve hot.

Beet-Yogurt Dip- Dairy free, vegan recipe!

This recipe is a vegan version of a traditional Mahrashtrian recipe called Beetachi koshimbir/ Beet Raita.

• 1 medium sized Beet- cooked, peeled and grated.
• 1/2 cup coconut yogurt/ soy yogurt
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tbsp roasted peanut powder(danyache kut- Dry roast the peanuts, transfer to a blender and blend) 
• Salt to taste
• 1 small Chopped chilly(optional, if you need a little bit of kick)
• A few strands of Cilantro for garnishing

-Mix everything together except Cilantro

-Taste and adjust the ingredients as needed.

-Top it off with cilantro.

- Enjoy with a crusty bread or good old pita chips!