Green tomato channa dal curry

The slight tangy taste of green tomatoes in this recipe complement the channa dal. This is a semi dry curry which goes well with rice and dal/sambar or with rotis/phulkas.

Ingredients

4 to 5 green tomatoes

1 medium onion

2-3 pods of minced fresh garlic

1/2 cup channa dal (soaked for atleast 30 to 45 minutes)

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp jeera

A few curry leaves

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

3/4 tsp red chilli powder (adjust according to taste)

Salt to taste

Fresh cilantro for garnish

Method

1. Wash the green tomatoes and chop them into cubes.

2. Chop the onion.

3. Cook the channa dal either on the stove top or a pressure cooker. Make sure that it does not get mashed up. The channa dal should still have a bite to it. (see notes)

4. Pour oil in a pan and season with mustard seeds. Once they crackle add the jeera and curry leaves.

5. Next add the onions and garlic and saute until soft.

6. Add the cooked channa dal and saute for 1-2 minutes.

7. Now add the chopped green tomatoes along with the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt.

8. Do not add water. Just cover and cook for a few minutes until tender. You can continue the cooking process with the lid off.

9. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Notes

1. The channa dal can also be microwaved for a few minutes. If using a pressure cooker make sure you do not cook it for more than 1 whistle or else it will get mushy and will change the consistency of the curry.

2. To make the curry more tangy add a teaspoon of tomato paste while sauteeing the onions. 

Baby zucchini subzi

I got these beautiful baby zucchini's from Trader Joes. When you cut them in circles they look just like tindora. So, made a tindora like subzi out of baby zucchini. I felt the baby zucchini's were a bit firmer than the regular ones. As a result they did not get mushy as quickly as the regular zucchini. Give it a try and I am sure you will love it too.

Ingredients

15 to 20 baby zucchinis

1 medium onion

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp jeera

3/4 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to taste)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 pods of garlic finely minced

1 tbsp of dry coconut

A few curry leaves

Fresh cilantro for garnish

Salt to taste

Method

1. Trim the ends of the baby zucchini and cut them into rounds (see pic).

2. Chop the onions.

3. Pour oil in a pan and season with mustard seeds and jeera. Add the curry leaves.

4. Next add the onions and garlic and saute until soft.

5. Add the chopped baby zucchini along with turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt.

6. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes and then continue the cooking process with the lid off. (see notes)

7. Once the zucchini is cooked sprinkle the dry coconut powder. Give it a good stir and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

Notes

1. Do not cover and cook for too long as the zucchini will get mushy. This happens with regular zucchini too.

Potato and green beans subzi

Potatoes with green beans is such an awesome combination. I came across the recipe from Monica Bhide's blog 'A Life of Spice'. This recipe has been on my must try file for the last few weeks. Simple yet tasty, this recipe is all about home cooking at its best. No complicated flavors or spices going on here. Also love the way the potatoes are sliced as it makes the subzi visually appealing too. 

I more or less followed Monica's recipe. You can check out her recipe here. 

My variation to the recipe:

I used frozen haricort vert (aka green beans) which I microwaved for 5 minutes before adding to the potatoes. I used ginger-garlic paste whereas the original recipe uses only ginger. I also added half an onion thinly sliced after I seasoned with jeera. 

Do not use store bought coriander/dhania powder. Instead dry roast the coriander seeds in a pan and throw them in a blender/food processor and make a powder. This stays fresh for a few weeks in your pantry and you can use it in a variety of recipes.

Serve with rice and dal or rotis.

Brussel Sprouts Sambar

Got a big bag of brussel sprouts from Costco. Some of them sneaked into this sambar and the remaining into two other recipes which I will post soon. Here goes the recipe.

Brussel Sprouts sambar recipe

Ingredients

1-2 cups of halved brussel sprouts (adjust according to taste)

1 cup of cooked thuvar dal

1 medium onion chopped

1 small tomato chopped

1 tsp of tamarind pulp (see notes)

1-2 tsps of sambar powder

1 tsp of red chilli powder (see notes)

1/4 tsp of turmeric powder

Oil for seasoning

Salt to taste

Seasoning

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

A few methi seeds

Curry leaves

Dry red chillies

Method

1. Halve the brussel sprouts and cook on the stovetop with a pinch of turmeric powder. (see notes)

2. In a big pot add the oil and season with mustard and methi seeds, curry leaves and red chillies.

3. Add the chopped onion and saute until soft.

4. Add the tomatoes and tamarind pulp along with 2 cups of water. 

5. Also add the turmeric powder, sambar powder and red chilli powder. Let it boil until the raw smell goes away about 7-8 minutes.

6. Then add the cooked brussel sprouts and boil for another 1-2 minutes.

7. Mash the cooked thuvar dal and add to the tamarind veggie mix.

8. Add salt and more water if you need the sambar a bit thinner.

9. Boil until well combined. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with rice.

Notes

1. I use the tamarind pulp from the Indian store. If you are using fresh tamarind you will need a lime sized ball of tamarind. Soak in water and extract the juice.

2. Skip the red chilli powder if your sambar powder is spicy.

3. Do not pressure cook the brussel sprouts as they might get mushy. You can check the texture while cooking on the stovetop. 

Sponge cake flavored with cardamom

Came across this recipe at 'You Too Can Cook's' blog. The pressure cooker method did not work for me so I ended up baking the cake in the oven and it came out just as good. Tastes almost like the yellow cake we get in the local bakeries in India. The recipe uses very little butter and probably I will substitute with whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour the next time. But for now enjoy this simple cake recipe. Click here for the original recipe from you too can cook.

Recipe for Sponge cake flavored with cardamom

Ingredients

1 cup All Purpose flour

1 cup powdered sugar (not icing sugar - see notes)

150 ml of milk (use any milk you have in the fridge)

2 tbsps of butter

2 eggs at room temperature

A pinch of salt

1/2 tsp of vanilla essence

1/2 tsp of cardamom powder (if skipping the vanilla use 1 tsp)

1 tsp baking powder

Method

1. Add the butter to the milk and bring to a boil until the butter melts. Stir and set aside. Let is cool. (see notes)

2. Add the eggs to a bowl and beat until pale. Use an electric blender.

3. Next add the powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. 

4. Add the flour, baking powder, vanilla essence, cardamom powder and salt and blend well.

5. Add the milk/butter mix and on slow speed blend well.

6. Pour the cake batter into a buttered 9 inch round cake pan or an 8 inch square cake pan. 

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. You will know the cake is done when the top and the edges are brown.

8. Take out from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before you cut.

Notes

1. Using powdered sugar is a must. This works well as powdered sugar blends better with the eggs. And blending to a fluffy consistency is an important step as this recipe uses very little butter. Also as mentioned in the original recipe do not use icing sugar.

2. The milk and butter mixture needs to cool because hot milk will curdle the eggs.

Butternut squash with panch phoron

Panch phoron an unique blend of five spices (call it Indian five spices) gives a delicate and well balanced flavor to any vegetable. Make a blend of fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard and fennel seeds in equal parts and store them in your pantry. Season a variety of veggies like potatoes, cauliflower and even dal with this spice. Check out this post at Bong Mom's cookbook for more info and recipes using Panch Phoron. 

Seasoning butternut squash with panch phoron takes it to the next level. Serve it with a bowl of hot rice and dal or eat it as a warm salad. You will love the flavors of the spices that go so well with the squash.

Butternut squash with panch phoron recipe

Ingredients

3 to 4 cups of cubed butternut squash

1 medium onion chopped

1 tsp panch phoron spice mix

A few curry leaves

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 green chillies (adjust to taste)

Salt to taste

Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish

1-2 tsps oil

Method

1. Pour oil in a saute pan and add the panch phoron. 

2. Let it crackle and then add the curry leaves, green chillies and onion and saute until onions are soft.

3. Next add the butternut squash, turmeric powder and salt.

4. Cover and cook the squash. Do not add water as the squash will become mushy.

5. After 3 to 4 minutes remove the lid and cook until fork tender.

5. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Notes

1. Look for cubed butternut squash in grocery stores. I got it from Costco. 

2. Use dry red chillies instead of green chillies.