Spiced Lentil and Bean Stew

Inspired by the classic Ethiopian dish, and with my inclination towards indian spices came about this hearty and ‘warm your belly’ lentil stew. If you love earthy, warm spices, this will hit the right spot. Just the perfect bowl of dinner for the winter.

You will need:

3 cups lentils (regular brown or puy)
2 cans dark red kidney beans (pre-cooked)
1 bay leaf (fresh or dried)
1 large onion, finely chopped (yellow or white)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2″ piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp butter
2 large tomatoes, chopped ( for plum tomatoes, use 4)
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 cups vegetable stock (you can substitute with water)
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1 sprig, fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp lemon juice

For the Spice mixture:
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 tsp cardamom (i use whole ones)
4 cloves
1/2 stick cinnamon
2 tbsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp salt

In a dry skillet, add all the above spice mixture  ingredients. Toast over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Keep tossing making sure the spices don’t burn. Powder these ingredients in a blender along with the chopped ginger with no liquid. It has to be a dry powder. Frying whole spices and freshly grinding them adds immense flavor to the stew. If you don’t have access to fresh whole spices, as a substitute, you could use the pre-powdered version of all the above spices and just mix them together in a bowl.

In a large pot, add 6 cups of water along with the lentils and bay leaf. Boil the lentils for about 45 minutes. Around the 30 minute mark, check to see the doneness and adjust amount of water and cooking time accordingly. The lentils after 45 minutes, should be cooked but not mushy. It should be firm and al dente since it is going to cook a bit more while putting together the stew.

Drain the lentils, also drain the can of kidney beans and set aside.

In a large pot, add the butter and vegetable oil. Once the butter is golden brown, add the onions and garlic. Sauteé for 10 minutes until the onions soften.

Add the ground spice mixture and cook for 7-8 more minutes making sure the spice powder is mixed evenly.

Add the chopped tomatoes and salt , cook 5 more minutes.

Add tomato paste, mix well and then add the vegetable stock.

Simmer over medium heat for 25-30 minutes.

Now add the cooked lentils and beans, simmer 20 more minutes.

Check for salt, top with the chopped cilantro, mint, lemon juice and turn off the heat.

I prefer this stew just on it’s own with a little extra squeeze of lemon, but you could also serve it with your favorite bread.

Black Bean Salad with a Mint-Lemon Dressing

This is a recipe I frequently make and definitely one of my favorites. It’s a wholesome salad with a perfect combination of textures. The creamy black beans and crunchy vegetables, with fresh herbs and lemon makes this a flavor packed, quick and easy to make salad.

1 32oz can, cooked black beans (drained and washed)
1 small onion
1/2 cup tightly packed fresh mint
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro
1 serrano chili (substitute:jalapeno)
1 large tomato, cubed
2 medium carrots, cubed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
juice from 1 lemon
juice from 1 lime
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp salt

Finely chop the mint, cilantro, serrano chilli and onion together. I used a manual chopper, but use whatever you have. In a mixing bowl, add the rinsed black beans, tomato and the herb onion mixture. Sprinkle salt, lemon zest and toss together.

Add the chopped carrots, green peppers, lemon+lime juice and mix well. I like to serve these in lettuce cups with my favorite rye baguette, makes for a great lunch. It can also be served as a side with entrees.

Onion-Cheese Taquitos with Tomatillo-Mint Sauce

Taquito, a Mexican dish is basically a small rolled-up tortilla with any kind of filling usually meat or cheese. Traditionally the filled tortilla is deep fried.

My version is both vegetarian and healthy. So, I chose to bake the taquitos to make this a more everyday meal. I also crisped onions to add the sweet caramelized flavor to the cheese taquitos.

The perfect pair for cheesy tortillas are tomatillos. The easiest way of using them are making salsa verde, a tomatillo sauce which have many variations. Mine uses cilantro, mint and garlic.

8 flour tortillas ( 6″ or 8″ size)
2 cups shredded pepper jack or monterey jack cheese (I used a mixture of both)
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced lengthwise

For the tomatillo-mint sauce:

1 large can whole tomatillos( 8-10 if using fresh)
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium yellow onion
2 jalapenos, roughly chopped ( I use the whole pepper with seeds, you can deseed to make it milder)
3 tbsp cilantro
1 tbsp dried mint
1 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a saucepan add 1 cup of water, the tomatillos and salt. Bring this to a boil and cook uncovered or 7-8 minutes until the tomatillos just begin to break down. To this add the garlic, onions, jalapenos and cook covered for 15-20 minutes until all the vegetables cook to tender. Add the cilantro, mint and let cool for 5 minutes.

Blend this using a hand blender into a smooth mixture. This salsa verde makes a great side to tortilla chips, works great with fajitas, burritos and is fantastic for breakfast over eggs.

In a non-stick pan heat 2 tbsps canola oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook while stirring for around 15-20 minutes until the onions cook, brown, crisp and caramelize. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place a tortilla on a plate. Spread 3-4 tbsps cheese across it and top with 2 tbsps of the onions. Wrap the tortilla tightly and place on a greased baking sheet. Roll the remaining tortillas until you use up all the cheese onions. Arrange the tortillas on the sheet and bake for 8 minutes until the outside gets crispy and the cheese is molten.

Serve the tortillas with sauce drizzled on top.

Did I hear a Burrp?

Superbowl Super Snack

Here are a few of my successful experiments of the day – three kinds of crispy snacks with two different kind of dips. It all started with a craving for crisp onion rings and french fries to mindlessly reach for while watching the game. But that unfortunately entails waiting forever to have it delivered and eating something with an unimaginable amount of grease and salt. Making a snack at home turned out to be easy, healthy and just incredibly delicious.

I made two dips – Caramelized onion Dip and a Herb infused ketchup. Served with two types of crispy potatoes and oven toasted pierogi.

Pierogis are stuffed dumplings much like ravioli. You could call this the eastern/central european ravioli! It is a pillowy soft dough typically filled with potatoes, onions and cheese. Although they taste the best made from scratch, the second best option is to buy them from the frozen section usually next to the stuffed pastas. Unlike pasta, they are typically not served with heavy sauces but more with light sauces like a brown butter sauce or just plain fried onions on top.

Inspired by fried raviolis, I oven roasted the pierogis and served then as a snack and not an entrée.

Two kinds of potatoes:
4 large potatoes( You will need long ones than the round kind)
1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp  red chilli powder (substitute paprika if you don’t want any heat)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp  salt
1/2 tbsp dried basil

For the dips:
Dip 1 :
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup indian yogurt or greek yogurt ( if you are using regular yogurt, drain using a cheese cloth overnight to remove all excess water. you will be left with a creamy thick yogurt)
1 white onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp canola oil
Dip 2:
4 tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp  green chilli paste
1/2 tsp mint paste
1/2 tsp coriander paste
1 tbsp water

Oven toasted pierogis:
1 pound pierogi ( frozen)
1/2 tsp salt

Pre heat the oven to 400F.

Dip 1:

Heat a non-stick pan with a tsp of canola oil. Add the finely chopped onions and sauté until the onions are browned and crispy. In a bowl mix together the sour cream and yogurt. Add the crispy onions, cilantro, crushed red peppers and salt. Mix well and serve with the crispy potatoes.

Dip 2:

Mix all the dip ingredients together and this is ready to serve! Although adding ketchup with herbs seems kinda crazy, trust me, this is the best dip you have ever eaten. It pairs extremely well with potatoes and anything that needs a kick up.

Oven toasted Pierogis:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the frozen pierogis in and cook until the pierogis float to the top. That means they are ready to come out. Drain any excess water and place them on baking sheet greased with a little canola oil. Bake for 10 minutes until brown on one side. Turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes until crispy. Serve with the spicy herbed ketchup. This turned out to be the perfect combination. Crisp on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside,  dipped into a spicy tangy sauce is just heavenly!

Potato Crisps:
Wash the potatoes well. Slice two potatoes lengthwise into large thin strips about a 1/4 inch thin. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread the slides evenly. Bake for 20 minutes, turn the slices around and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove the baking sheet, sprinkle potatoes with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp chilli powder.

Bake for another 5 minutes and serve hot with dips.

Fries:
Cut the remaining two potatoes into french fries style pieces about 1/2 inch thick. Spread them evenly on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes. They should be browned  by now, then add salt, cumin, chilli and coriander powders along with the dried basil.

Back to baking for 5 more minutes and serve hot with the dips.

Bombay Sandwich – The Queen of Street Food

One of the best things about India and the thing I miss the most food-wise is street food. Here’s one of my favorites, the bombay sandwich. A simple yet soul satisfyingly delicious snack perfect for an appetizer or served with coffee or tea. The thing I love about this is you can make this with things you probably always have in your pantry. The only extra step is to make the chutney which is the star of this dish.

For the chutney you need :

4 green chillies (indian or thai variety preferably, serranos or jalapenos are a good substitute)
1/2 cup Cilantro
1/3 cup Mint
1/2 tsp Tamarind paste
2 Garlic cloves, peeled
1/2″ piece Ginger, peeled
1 tbsp grated Coconut (frozen works fine)
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Salt
2-3 tbsp Lemon juice

To make the sandwich:

3 slices of white bread- makes one sandwich (classically made with white bread, substitute with wheat or grain bread, not with any stonf flavored bread like rye)
1 white onion, slicked thinly lengthwise
1 large tomato, sliced thinly into rounds
1 large potato, boiled, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

Blend all the chutney ingredients together in a blender with as little water as possible. You want a smooth texture almost the consistency of room temperature butter.

Fill a pot of cold water an add some salt. Drop in the potatoes and bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are completely cooked. Peel and slice into thin rounds and set aside. Remove the crusts off the bread, slice the onions and tomatoes and set aside.

Spread the chutney liberally on the first slice of bread. Place a couple of the sliced onions and tomatoes on it. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread the chutney liberally on the second slice of bread and place it on the first slice with veggies, chutney side up.
Place the sliced boiled potatoes on the second bread, add a pinch of salt  and pepper. Spread the third slice with chutney and place on top of the potatoes chutney side down. Press down slightly.

Cut into four pieces serve at room temperature.

Leftover Makeover – 2

With my leftover Chickpeas-Mint patties and lemon garlic dipping sauce came this sandwich. Continuing my leftover makeovers, this is such a great snack with crisp fresh veggies, creamy sauce and minty patties.

I used a hearty multi grain bread that adds great flavor and stands up well with all these strong flavors of garlic, mint, chickpeas and lemon. 
1 ripe tomato, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 onion, thinly sliced
3-4 pickled jalapenos
1/4 head of lettuce, rough chopped 
more lemon juice, optional 

Toast the bread until toasted crisp. Spread one slice liberally with the garlic-cilantro sauce, and place the chickpeas-mint patties over it. I used two patties to make the sandwich more hearty.

Top with crisp lettuce, 2 slices of tomatoes, 1 slice of onion, jalapenos, a tsp more of lemon juice. Spread more of the sauce on the second slice of bread and gently press down to make into a manageable size!

Chickpeas-Mint Patties

A simple and healthy snack with insanely great flavors. With the lemon-cilantro-garlic sauce, it’s a marriage made in heaven!

1 13 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp dried mint
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cumin powder
3/4 tsp coriander powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to  400F

In a blender, add the the chickpeas, mint, red chilli powder, cumin seeds, cumin and coriander powders, garlic and salt. Pulse blend a few times with no extra water added. Drop the egg and blend completely. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Grease a baking tray or a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray liberally. Drop a tablespoon of spoonful of mixture on the sheet and gently flatten them with the back of your spoon.Make the rest of the mixture into patties and place then an inch apart.

Bake for 15 minutes until one side is browned and turn them over and bake 10 more minutes until completely crispy. Serve warm with the cilantro-garlic dipping sauce.

I am entering this dish into the EFM-Savories event hosted by SrishKitchen.

Fusili with Roasted red peppers in Tomato-Basil sauce

Here’s another one of my easy weeknight dinners. I call this my kitchen sink pasta. I threw in a few things that I had in my pantry and it turned out quite well! The only comment I have is that the next I try it, I will probably use fresh jalapenos instead of pickled. I personally felt the lime juice and pickled jalapenos made it too tangy. I would go for one or the other.

1 pound fusili pasta
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 cup roasted red peppers, thinly sliced (I used store bought)
3 tbsp pickled jalapenos, finely chopped (I used store bought)
1 tbsp lime juice
1 16 oz can black beans, drained and washed
1 tbsp basil pesto (I used store bought pesto)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups marinara sauce (I used store bought marinara with onions and herbs)
1 tbsp mint, finely chopped

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fusili pasta and cook until al dente(around 8-9 minutes). Drain and pour into a large serving bowl.

Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil and garlic, fry for a couple of seconds and add in the washed and drained black beans. Sautee for another minute. Pour in the tomato sauce, add the jalapenos and heat it through for 10 minutes. Stir in the basil pesto, lime juice, roasted red peppers and sautee for 5-7 more minutes.

 Remove from heat and pour it over the pasta. Mix the pasta and top with mint and serve.

I have sent this recipe to Culinarty’s Original Recipes.

Red Chilli noodles with lemongrass-coconut sauce

I found these red chilli noodles in my market and here is my thai inspired creation with it.

1 pound red chilli noodles
5 garlic cloves, sliced
3″ ginger piece, sliced
2 stalks of lemongrass, Split into half lengthwise
1 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 red onion, finely sliced lengthwise
1/2 tsp coriander powder
3 thai chilli peppers (substitute with indian green chillies or serrano peppers)
2 tbsp canola oil (peanut oil would be a great substitute)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 bayleaf( fresh or dried)
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the red chilli noodles and cook according to package instructions.

Heat oil in a pan( or a wok if you have one) over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger,chillies, green onions and red onions. Stir fry for a minute managing heat so the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the lemon grass, bay leaf and coconut milk and reduce heat to medium. Add the coriander powder, salt and peas. Let simmer for 12 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf and the four lemongrass stalks from the sauce.  Add in the cooked noodles to the sauce and let cook on heat for 5 minutes, sprinkled the chopped cilantro and mint, mix well together remove from heat and serve.

I am entering this recipe to the A.W.E.D Thai event hosted by DK’s Culinary bazaar.

I am sending this to Culinarty’s Original Recipes.

Penne Bruschetta

Weeknight dinner is a huge hurdle for me after a long tiring day at work. This is a pasta recipe I came up with that is easy and quick with crisp, clean and simple flavors.

3 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped into 1/2 -inch pieces
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp mint, finely chopped
2 tbsp  fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tbsp capers
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried red chillies, crushed
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 pound penne
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a large serving bowl, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, parsley, mint, basil, capers, garlic, dried red chillies, salt and black pepper  

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the serving bowl. Toss well, sprinkle with the cheese and toss again before serving.

I have entered this recipe for the Foodie Films Event hosted by Joelen’s Culinary Adventures.

My Signature Veggie Burger

This is my solution to the dry soy or imitation meat veggie burgers they sell in markets. My signature veggie burger recipe uses simple vegetables, spices and herbs and makes a great looking and yummy burger.

1 cup fresh broccoli
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 idaho potatoes, chopped into half
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (also known as japanese bread crumbs)
2 tsp mint chutney (if you cannot find the chutney, substitute with 2 tsp fresh mint leaves)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
8 curry leaves (about one stem), washed and chopped
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
3 serrano peppers
2 garlic cloves, minced
1″ ginger piece, minced
2 tsp butter 
1 tbsp lemon juice
Burger buns (I used sesame buns) 

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and let it boil for 5-7 minutes until tender. Strain and transfer into a bowl. In the same water add half of the peas( 1/4 cup), let cook for 3 minutes, strain and transfer to the same bowl with the broccoli. Now add the potatoes and let boil until fork tender. This could take anytime between 10-15 minutes. I reuse the same water for all three to add richness to flavor by using a slotted spoon to remove the broccoli and peas. 

While the potatoes are boiling…..

Add the mint chutney, minced garlic, ginger, lemon juice and salt into the bowl with the broccoli and peas. 

In a non stick pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the serrano peppers, coriander and cumin powders and fry for a 5-10 seconds. Now add in the onions, curry leaves and the remaining 1/4 cup peas and fry for 5 minutes until the onion is browned. Transfer this mixture with the butter and all, in with the broccoli and peas and do a quick mash.

 

Add in the boiled, peeled potatoes and the break crumbs and mash everything together. If your mixture is too soft and you feel you cannot form it into patties add more bread crumbs until you get a slightly firm texture. Add the chopped cilantro, check for seasoning and your burger patties are ready to be made.

In a nonstick pan over medium-high heat add a teaspoon of oil and let the pan preheat for a couple of minutes. Make a patty with the mixture and place it in the oil. Lower heat to medium and let cook for a couple of minutes or until the edges turn brown. Since most of the ingredients in the mixture are already cooked, it will not take that long. Flip it over and brown the other side as well, use exta oil if needed. Make the rest of the mixture into burger patties and line them up on a baking tray or cooking sheet and let it cool for a couple of minutes.

Toast the burger buns. Place the burger patty on the bottom bread.  I like to spread mint or cilantro chutney on the top bun and serve it with a big steak of tomato and white onions and squeeze some lemon juice on them.

I sent this recipe to Culinarty’s Original Recipes.

Green peppers and Orzo with garlic – brown butter sauce

1 pound Orzo pasta
2 green peppers, seeds removed and diced 
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped ( I include the seeds for extra heat, you could remove seeds or skip using this pepper)
4 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp dried mint 
1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp salt 

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, around 8-10 minutes (Follow your package for instructions.)

In the meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet melt 4 tbsp butter on medium heat. Add garlic and jalapeno and let cook for a minute. Keep stirring to avoid burning the garlic. The butter will become a golden brown and this is brown butter or ghee. Add in the coriander and cumin powders and fry for a few seconds. This is your brown butter sauce.

Add in the onions and keep stirring for another 5 minutes to slightly brown the onions. Add in the green peppers, salt and let cook for 5-7 minutes or until the peppers are soft but not soggy. Add the mint and cilantro mix once and take off heat and set aside.

Drain the pasta well and transfer into a mixing bowl. Add the green pepper garlic brown butter mixture and mix it all together. Check for salt and serve.

I have entered this post to the Foodie Films Event hosted by Joelen’s Culinary Adventures

Beetroot Pulao

Beets are one of my favorite vegetables. It’s sweet, juicy and works great with indian flavors. This is my version of an Indian Pulao with beet roots, onions and warm indian spices and herbs. It’s a no fuss one pot dish that packs in explosive flavor!

2 cups Basmati Rice
3 tbsps butter
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp dried mint
3 large beets, sliced lengthwise 1/2 inch thick
3 indian green chillies, finely chopped
2 medium onions, sliced thin
4 cups water
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tsp salt

In a large non-stick pan melt the butter over medium heat and add the chopped chillies and garlic, cloves and cinnamon. Stir for a minute and then add in the onions.

Cook for 5 minutes until the onions just start softening and turn light brown. Add in the sliced beets, add salt, dried mint stir and cook covered for 8 minutes or until the beets have just softened.

Add in the raw rice and stir well together and keep stirring until rice turns opaque. (and yes it will be red) After about 5 minutes of stirring, add in the measured water.

Bring this to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook covered for 20 minutes without lifting the lid. Then check to see if all the water is absorbed by stirring gently so there is no water remaining in the bottom of the pan. Turn off heat and let rice sit for another 10 minutes. 

Remove the lid, add in chopped cilantro, mix well and serve hot with chilled cucumber raita.

Cilantro-Mint Chutney

3 serrano peppers or indian green chillies, chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves peeled
1 large bunch of cilantro
4 springs of mint
1/2 tsp salt
juice of 3 limes
1/3 cup grated fresh coconut (optional)

Put the chillies, ginger, garlic, and coconut in a food processor and puree to a paste. Add the cilantro and mint and pulse again until the herbs are blended. Add salt and with motor running add the juice from two of the limes. Taste to see if you want to add the juice from the remaining lime.