Bread Upma

Bread Upma literally translates to scrambled (sauteed) bread. This is my childhood memory on a plate. A staple in south indian households, often a great after school snack for kids, and a great way to use day old bread.

This demonstrates the simplicity of good food. Served with mint chutney, this is my perfect supper.

Although often made with plain white bread, I used simple wheat to make it more hearty.

10 slices wheat bread (serves 4), crumbs removed and chopped into 2″ pieces
1 tbsp canola oil + 2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp channa dal (bengal gram lentil)
1 tsp urad dal (black gram lentil)
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder (popularly available brand is “L.G”)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 chillies, finely chopped (indian, thai or serrano kind
3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp lemon juice

Heat oil and butter in a pot, over medium heat. Just when the butter starts melting add mustard seeds and asafoetida. When the butter starts turning golden, add both lentils in. Fry for a minute until the lentils starts turning golden brown.

Now add the finely chopped green chillies and onions. Fry for 5 minutes until the onions soften and are cooked thoroughly. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt, mix well and drop the heat to low while preparing the bread to add in.

Remove the crusts off the bread and chop once vertically across the middle and thrice horizontally to create 6 pieces out of every slice. Prepare all 10 slices similarly. Add the pieces to the onion mixture and mix well. Add the tablespoon of water so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Mix this all together so the spice onion mixture coats all the bread pieces evenly. The volume of the bread will drop but, it will still keep it’s texture.

Leave on low heat for 5 minutes stirring once in  while. This will help the bread soak up all the flavor from the onion spice mixture. Add chopped cilantro and lemon juice, stir and serve hot with mint chutney.

The lentils stay crunchy, the spices with the little butter add a nutty savory flavor with the bread hearty and chewy. It really is a party in your mouth.

Simple Coconut Green Beans

Here is an authentic south-indian style green bean recipe. It’s delectable!

1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed, washed and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces.
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
2 tsp whole black gram dal ( also known as urad lentil it is similar to the commonly available moong lentils)
3-4 dried red chillies, roughly crushed
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup freshly grated coconut ( fresh or frozen coconut available in most indian stores. This is not the dry sweetened coconut available in regular grocery stores usually used in desserts)

In a saute pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds and as soon as it starts spluttering, add the asafoetida and whole black gram dal. Fry for a minute until the urad turns golden brown. Add the slightly crushed red chillies and fry for 10 seconds and immediately add the chopped beans.

Add salt and cover and cook for 15-20 minutes over medium heat.

Uncover, check if beans are cooked through. If it is not cooked, cover and let cook some more. Once the beans are done, sprinkle the grated coconut and increase the heat to medium-high heat.

Saute for another 10 minutes and serve hot with steamed basmati rice.

Lima Bean Biryani

This is another one of my crazy kitchen sink recipes. Kitchen sink recipes are ones I have no plan or recipe for. I just make it up as I go along, with whatever ingredients I have at that moment. Most of the times it works well and the times it doesn’t, you don’t hear about it!

I love lima beans and I think these classic flavors go very well together and jazz up the usually challenging lima beans. It’s just another way of using the yummy beans.

2 cups lima beans, thawed ( I used frozen)
2 cups basmati rice
1 large white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large red tomato, roughly chopped
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
1″ piece ginger, peeled
3 serrano chillies, roughly chopped ( I use the whole peppers. Feel free to adjust this as you please)
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder ( Optional: don’t let not having this ingredient discourage you from trying this recipe!)
1tbsp + 1tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp butter

In a blender, add garlic, ginger, serrano chillies, cilantro, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, coriander seeds, 1 tsp salt, tomato and onions. Blend this mixture together, with no added water. The watery tomatoes yield just enough. Make this into a smooth paste and set aside.

Heat a largewide non-stick pan over medium heat with canola oil and  butter. Once the butter has melted add the remaining 1 tsp cumin seeds  and asafoetida powder.As I mentioned above, asafoetida is one of those things that not every one may have available. But don’t let not having  this one ingredient discourage you  from making the dish. It will taste great either way.

When the cumin seeds start spluttering, remove the pan from heat and  add the blended mixture. Doing it on heat will make a mess, there is a lot  of spluttering. Make sure you reduce the heat to low before returning the  pan to heat. Cook over low heat partially covered for 20-25 minutes,  stirring every  8 or so minutes. This will remove the raw smell from the  onion and spices and give room for all the flavors to meld together. Your kitchen must smell heavenly just about now!

Add the lima beans, the measured water and remaining tsp of salt. Increase the heat to medium high and cook uncovered for 10-12 minutes. Add the basmati rice, mix and let it come to a boil.

Just when it comes to a boil, cover and drop the heat to low. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the rice is perfectly done. Remove and gently fold or fluff using a spatula. Do not over mix or the rice will break and become mushy.

Garnish with cilantro and serve this dish hot with a cup of cool raita.

Potatoes in Tomato-Fenugreek Gravy

Here is how I used some great south indian ingredients like fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and mustard seeds with potatoes and tomatoes. It makes a comforting and spicy side dish to any bread or steamed rice.

3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp split black gram dal (Urad dal)
1 tsp fenugreek(methi) seeds
10-12 curry leaves, chopped (leaves from 1-2 stems)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp canola oil

To make into a paste :

3 medium tomatoes, halved
1 ” piece ginger, rough chopped
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup grated fresh cocnut

Add the tomatoes, ginger, asafoetida powder, coconut, red chilli powder and salt. Grind together into a smooth paste and set aside.

Heat the oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, as soon as it starts popping, add the black gram dal and fry until it starts to turn golden. Add the methi seeds, fry for 10 seconds and add in the chopped onions, half of the curry leaves and saute until the onions turns golden.

Add the pureed tomato-coconut mixture and a tsp of salt  to the onions stir well. Cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the tomato masala cooks through. Mix in the chopped potatoes, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender but not mushy.

Sprinkle rest of the curry leaves on top and serve with chapati or with steamed rice.

Cabbage Lentil Pancakes

Try this and you will never complain about cabbage being bland. The crispy pan fried pieces of cabbage and the hearty spiced lentils are a wonderful combination.

1 cup bengal gram dal (Channa dal)
3 cups cabbage, shredded
1 medium onion, finely chopped
8-10 dried red chillies
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1″ piece ginger, minced
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
5 curry leaves, chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp rice flour

Soak the channa dal for an hour in water. Drain and grind into a coarse paste with the dried red chillies, 1/2 tsp salt and asafoetida powder.

Add the minced ginger, chopped onions, cumin seeds, cilantro, curry leaves and salt to this mixture. Mix well, add the shredded cabbage, rice flour toss together and set aside.

Heat oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Take 2 tbsps of the cabbage-lentil mixture, slightly flatten it with your palms and gently place on the oil. Fry for 4-5 minutes on one side until completely cooked through and browned. Flip over and cook for another 4 minutes.

Place on paper towels to drain and serve warm with mint chutney.

Simple Pureed Spinach

This authentic Tamilian(Southern Indian) dish is simple yet comforting. The toasted fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds add to the flavor and aroma, the urad dal gives it texture and dried red chillies for spice. It makes a great side dish with rice. Typically served over a hot bed of cooked rice with ghee drizzled on top.

2 large bunches of fresh spinach
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp urad dal
3 dried red chillies, halved

Wash the spinach leaves and roughly chop them. Bring 3-4 tbsps of water to a boil in a pan and add the salt and spinach. Cook over medium heat. Since spinach leaves contain a lot of water, you do not want to add too much water. Cook until the spinach is tender.

Using a hand blender mash the spinach into a smooth puree.

In a dry pan, roast the fenugreek seeds, watch closely to avoid burning. Roast them until golden and powder them using a blender.

In another small pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds, just when they splutter add the urad dal and crushed red chillies. Remove from heat, stir in the powdered fenugreek seeds and add this to the pureed spinach. Mix well and serve hot.

Fried Tomato and Onion Rice

I call this the South Indian risotto. It has the same comfort and warmth to it. On a cold day, this is one of my favorite things that I look forward to.

 

1 cup basmati rice (I used brown basmati rice)
2 tbsps butter
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
8 indian green chillies, split into two lengthwise
1″ piece ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large onions, diced
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3 tomatoes, diced
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add the cup of rice, cover and let simmer over medium heat for 35-40 minutes until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Remove from heat and let cool.

If using white basmati rice, follow the same procedure, just use 1 1/2 cups water per cup of rice and simmer for 20-22 minutes to cook completely.

Melt the butter in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and asafoetida. As soon as they start spluttering add garlic, ginger and green chillies.Fry for a minute, add the onions and turmeric powder.

When the onions start turning golden brown, add the tomatoes, salt and coriander powder. Mix well, cover and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Uncover, add the cilantro and stir together.

At this stage, this makes a great side dish on its own, served with chapathi or naan.

Add this tomato-onion mixture to the cooked rice, mix well together and serve warm.

South Indian Stir Fried Lentils

A common dish from back home, this makes a filling and healthy snack. You could use a a couple of varieties of Indian Lentils or even the regular green lentils or puy lentils for this dish.

2 cups green lentils ( you could also use Split Bengal Gram(channa)  or Split Green Gram (moong) Dals)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp split black gram dal(urad dal)
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
4-5 dried red chillies, crushed
8-10 curry Leaves, finely chopped

Bring salted water to a boil. Add the lentils and cook until soft, around 10 minutes. Drain and let sit for 5 minutes.

In a nonstick pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and as soon as they start popping add asafoetida, salt, dried red chillies and urad dal. Fry until dal starts to turn golden. Add the curry leaves, salt and stir.

Add this mixture to the cooked lentils, toss together and serve warm.

Curry Leaf Chutney

Curry leaf is one of my favorite herbs. It is the soul of Tamilian (Southern Indian) cooking. They add such a complex layer to food with their savory, fresh and slightly lemony taste. It is common misconception that curry powder or any and all curries are made from curry leaves. They have nothing to with curry powder or most northern indian curries.

This chutney was a staple during my childhood. It is versatile and makes a great condiment to most crispy indian snacks like pakoras, bhajjis and samosas. They also pair well with south indian breakfast dishes like idly, dosa and upma.

5-6 stems curry leaves, washed
1 inch piece fresh tamarind (substitute 1/2 tsp tamarind paste)
2 tsp black gram dal
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
4 dried red chillies
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp canola oil

Pluck the leaves from the stem, discard the stems and wash the leaves well and set aside.

Heat a pan with 1 tsp oil over medium heat. Add the tamarind and curry leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes until the curry leaves slightly wilt. Transfer this to a blender.

In the same pan, add another tsp of oil and heat over medium heat. Add the black gram dal and fry till it starts to turn golden. Add the red chillies, asafoetida and fry for 30 seconds. Transfer this to the blender along with the curry leaves

Add salt and blend everything together into a smooth paste. Use a few tablespoons of water or as needed. Serve at room temperature.

This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once. Here are the rules if you want to participate and  here’s Who’s Hosting Weekend Herb Blogging if you’d like to join the weekly celebration of cooking with fresh herbs.

Chickpeas and Methi leaf Curry

Methi(aka Fenugreek) Leaves and Seeds are common ingredients in Indian cooking. They have a slightly bitter but intensely nutty and savory flavor. Added to any gravy or vegetable curries, it adds a great depth. Herb combination of Methi leaves and Cilantro is just a great flavor treat!

Using chickpeas or potatoes with methi leaves is most common. Here is a version of methi leaves with chickpeas in a tomato/onion masala.

1 32 oz can Chickpeas
1 cup Methi leaves (aka Fenugreek leaves) cleaned & washed
5 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1/3 cup cilantro

To make into a paste:
1 stick Cinnamon
4 cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
8 Indian green chillis (use 4-5 for a milder version)
1 ” Ginger piece
3 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
1 large tomato
1 medium onion
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup water

Add all of the above paste ingredients to a blender. Add the cup of water and blend everything together to make a smooth paste. Set aside.

Prepare the methi leaves: pluck the leaves from the stem and discard the stems. Put all the leaves in a bowl and fill it with cold water. Let it sit for 5 minutes, all the dirt and grit will sink to the bottom. Gently pick the leaves out the water, pat dry with a paper towel and rough chop the leaves and set aside.

In a pan heat 5 tbsps canola oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan off the heat and pour the blended spice mixture into the pan stirring the mixture and the oil together. If you pour the mixture into the oil while still on heat there will be a lot of splattering. Put the pan back into medium heat, sprinkle 1 tsp of salt and cook this masala for 15-20 minutes stirring ever 5 minutes. The raw flavor and smell of the spices will mellow down as it simmers. Your kitchen will smell insanely good by now!

Add remaining salt, garam masala powder and the chopped methi leaves. Mix throughly. Let this cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the chickpeas and cilantro making sure the chick peas is really coated well in the masala. Cook for another 7-8 minutes, remove from heat and serve hot. I served it over a bed of hot basmati rice and with Chapatis. Naan would be great too!

This curry tastes even better the next day when the chickpeas has completely soaked into the masala sitting in it all day! In fact I always make this dish in the morning and serve it for dinner. The flavors intensify and marry better the longer it sits.

This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once. Here are the rules if you want to participate and  here’s Who’s Hosting Weekend Herb Blogging if you’d like to join the weekly celebration of cooking with fresh herbs.

Pesarattu (pronounced pes-a-ret)

Here’s another authentic south Indian breakfast/supper dish. Pesarattu is a savory pancake made from whole green gram dal. You can make the batter ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator up to 5 days. This is traditionally served with rava upma. But for more everyday ease I usually serve it with any chutney, like Onion chutney, tomato chutney or ginger chutney( will post the recipe soon!)

1 cup Whole Green Moong Dal
1/4 cup rice (use any long grained white rice)
2″ fresh Ginger, peeled
6 Indian Green Chillies
4 Dried red chillies
1 cup water
2 tsp salt
1 tsp asafoetida powder
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp canola oil

As with most Indian lentils first wash them well. Soak moong dal and rice overnight. (at least 10-12 hrs).

In a blender, add the soaked dal, rice, green chillies, red chillies, asafoetida, ginger and salt. Grind to a smooth batter adding in the water slowly 1/4 cup at a time. You want the batter thick but still in pourable consistency. Add the cumin seeds and the chopped onions, mix thoroughly and set aside.

Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Grease it with non-stick cooking spray. Ladle in the batter (1 ladle full) and with the back of your ladle and with gentle pressure, starting from the center of the circle, spread the batter with a circular motion to make a thin even circle.

Drizzle 1/2 tsp of canola oil around the edge of the circle. Cook until the edges become brown around 3-4 minutes). Flip the pesarattu over and cook for another 2-3 minutes until completely cooked. Make as many as needed and serve hot.

Store the leftover batter in the refrigerator.

I am sending this for the My Legume Love Affair : MLLA Sixth Helping : Hot & Spicy event hosted by Tasty Palettes. For more on the future line-up of this event visit Susan’s event page.

Urad-Onion-Methi Vadai

Vadai is a common south Indian appetizer/snack dish. You could classify it as a flour-based dumpling or a fritter( sorta!). The main ingredients in this dish are Urad dal and fresh methi leaves.

Urad Dal is also known as black gram dal and available commonly in any Indian store near you. Methi leaves(aka fenugreek leaves) although less common is available in some Indian stores as well. You could also use dried methi as a substitute. Like any other dried herb, the dired version is much more stong in flavor than the fresh leaves. Here is what they both look like :

1 1/2 cups of urad dal, washed and soaked in lukewarm water for an hour

1 large onion, finely chopped
4 indian green chillies, finely chopped ( I always include the seeds, you can remove them

1/2 cup of methi(aka fenugreek leaves), washed and roughly chopped (if you can’t find fresh leaves use 1 tbsp dried methi)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder

1/4 tsp asafoetida powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt

oil for shallow frying

Make sure the urad dal is washed well atleast a couple of times before it is soaked. Add the soaked urad dal to a blender and with as little water as possible grind this into a thick batter. If you add too much water the vadai will be extra oily, or it will be so liquidy that you cannot drop it into oil. You must not be using more than 2 or 3 tablespoons of water. The final batter should look something like this-

Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl.  Add in the onions, chillies, methi leaves, cilantro, salt, baking powder, turmeric, asafoetida and coriander powder to this. Mix well and this is your batter for frying.

In a frying pan, add about an inch thick layer of oil and heat for 5 minutes on medium heat. Use a tablespoon to measure the batter and drop into the pan. Do not overcrowd the pan.

Fry on all sides and drain them on paper towels. Serve hot with mint chutney, tomato chutney or onion chutney.

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

Stir Fried Pasta Potato and Peas

Here is something that I make as a quick meal. It’s simple and delicious.

One of my readers PhilRamble had mentioned this as his favorite things to cook in a comment on my Radiatore -Sundried tomato post. I was amazed and happy to find a fellow blogger who loves this unconventional variation!

1 pound pasta (use ziti, rigatoni or penne)
2 large potatoes, washed, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1 cup frozen peas
1 large onion, thinly sliced (I used a red onion)
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder (optional, leave it out if you don’t have it in hand)
2 tsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garam masala
1- 1 1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cilantro, washed and finely chopped
2-3 tbsp lemon juice

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, around 8-9 minutes.

In a large skillet, melt butter and add the cumin seeds. Fry until the cumin starts to slightly brown. Add the asafoetida powder, fry a couple of seconds and add the onions. Cook until the onions are slightly browned, stirring often. Add the peas, potatoes, salt and stir it all together. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, sitrring frequently until the peas are cooked and the potatoes just start to get tender.

Add the coriander, red chilli and garam masala powders and mix them all together. If the mixture is too dry, drizzle a tsp of vegetable or canola oil. Cook over medium high heat for another 10-12 minutes until the potatoes are completely cooked and the raw spices in the dish are mellowed down.

Add the cooked pasta, lemon juice and cilantro and gently mix everything together so the spices evenly coat the pasta. Heat through for another 5 minutes and serve.

Oddly I eat this dish with ketchup drizzled over it ( I think it’s delicious that way) but it doesn’t need anything more technically!

Pearl Onion Chutney

2 cups or 1 bags pearl onions ( I used frozen, thawed at room temperature )
1 tbsp split black gram dal/urad dal
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
6 dried red chillies
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp or marble sized ball of fresh tamarind (substitute : 1/2 tbsp tamarind paste)
2 tbsp + 2 tsp canola oil

Heat 2 tsp oil over medium-high heat and add the pearl onions. Cook on high heat until the onions soften and start browning. Cook until all the onions evenly brown and caramelize, around 5 minutes stirring every minute. Set aside to cool.

Heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat and add the urad dal and asafoetida. Fry for a few seconds or until the dal starts to turn golden brown. Add the dried red chillies, tamarind and remove from heat.

Add the onions and the fried spices to a blender, add salt and blend until smooth. If it’s so thick that you are unable to blend, loosen it up a bit with 1-2 tbsp water.

This chutney is very versatile best served with south indian breakfast dishes like vadai, upma or pongal. I also love using this as a dip for bagel crisps, pita chips or any crunchy snack.

Kosumalli

This is as authentic as south Indian food gets. It is a simple salad made with split green gram dal, carrots and a few spices. This dish is also very traditional and served in most south indian weddings and other special occasions.

Everytime I eat this dish, it brings back special memories of every wedding and other events I have attended back home in Chennai. It denotes festivities for me and makes the meal extra special!

1/2 cup yellow moong dal (split green gram dal)
2 medium sized carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
3 Indian green chillies, finely chopped (substitute 1 serrano or 1/2 jalapeno pepper)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil

When preparing any Indian lentil, the first step is to wash them well. After washing, soak the moong dal in cold water for 1 hour. Drain the soaked dal, pat dry with paper towels and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add the grated carrots, salt, lemon juice and cilantro. In a small pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds and when they start popping, add asafoetida and green chillies. Fry for a few seconds and add this to the carrot mixture mix well and let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the soaked dal to the carrot mixture, gently toss everything together, check for seasoning and serve at room temperature.