Nepali Black Eyed Peas Curry

Adapted from: http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/black-eyed-pea-masala-116878

Note: Serving size for lentils. It is common knowledge in India that each person cannot eat more than one fistful of DRIED lentils. So for four adults, you put four fistfuls in the pressure cooker (or cook on the stove or however you do it). This measurement is called a ‘muthi’, a handful. ‘Char’ refers to the number four. Adjust to your own family’s needs. Just think of the ingredients in a ‘proportion’ sense rather than a ‘measurement’ sense. [Caution — this does not apply to those canned lentils they sell!!]

Note: Salt measurement depends on the salt you use. I use morton’s iodized. Sea salt, you will need less. Kosher salt, more.

Serves 4 Adults

Ingredients:

For Pressure Cooker Dubba [box]:

4 fistfuls of dried black eyed peas (char muthi)
1 garlic clove, halved
1 small tomato, quartered
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)

MISE EN PLACE:

1/4 in jalapeno (just chop off a piece of the tail)
2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 tsp)
1/2 onion, diced
1 in ginger, minced (or 1 tsp)
2 whole black pepper (or 1/4 tsp black pepper powder)
1 in cinnamon stick (or 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder)
3 cloves (or 1/4 tsp clove powder)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 small tomato, diced
1/2 c yogurt (to taste)
handful of chopped cilantro (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In pressure cooker, put the black eyed peas, handful of diced onions, clove garlic, halved, and quartered tomato. Cover with water.
2. Cook on medium heat for 30 min.  DO NOT DRAIN.
3. I use a large heavy bottomed wok to cook in. Add oil. Let warm over medium heat.
4. Add jalapeno, garlic, onion and ginger. Mix well until cooked, around 2-3 min.
5. Add cumin powder, turmeric, and tomatoes. Mix well until cooked, around 2-3 min.
6. Add black eyed peas blend. Add salt. Let cook, 5-10 min.
7. Take off stove. Add yogurt. Alternatively, can serve yogurt on the side with the meal.
8. Top with cilantro.
9. Enjoy with rice.

Note: You can omit the yogurt if you’re not into it. It tastes great without it as well.

Verdict: Recipe’s a keeper. This is mildly different from typical Indian cuisine, but still familiar. Best, it is not oily or spicy, and is in fact very very healthy.

Andhra Spinach

From Saveur and Madhur Jaffrey

SERVES 2-4

Ingredients

1⁄4 cup oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1⁄4 tsp. fenugreek seeds (methi)
12 fresh or frozen curry leaves (limdo)
9 cloves garlic, 3 halved lengthwise, 6 minced
1 yellow onion, minced
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. red chile powder, such as cayenne
1⁄2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 (2″) piece ginger, peeled and grated
Kosher salt, to taste
3 lb. baby spinach

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium-high.
2. Cook cumin seeds until they pop, 1–2 minutes.
3. Add fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, and halved garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add onion; cook until golden, 10–12 minutes.
5. Add minced garlic, the coriander, chile powder, turmeric, ginger, and salt; cook until garlic is golden, 2–3 minutes.
6. Stir in spinach; cook until wilted and slightly dry, 6–8 minutes.

NOTE: This was terrific. Even the spinach haters in my family loved it. Five stars!!

Navaratri Sabu Dana Pooda

Sabu Dana Pooda
(this is a tapioca pancake)

1/2 c sabu dana (tapioca), soak in 2 c warm water for 2 hours

Drain.

Add:
1/4 – 1/2 c ground peanuts
Salt
Pepper
Adu Mircha (ginger jalapeno paste)

Mix to create batter.

Optional add:
Shredded potatoes
Ground ginger
Green pepper, julienne
Coriander, chopped

In skillet:
1 tbsp oil
Add big spoonful of mixture, spread, cover (with lid!) on low/medium heat.
Check every 2-3 min.
Flip, don’t cover (with lid).

Enjoy!

Navaratri Sabu Dana Khichdi

Sabu Dana Khichdi
(this is a hot mash made of tapioca)

1/2 c sabu dana (tapioca), soak in 2 c warm water for 2 hours

Drain.

Vaghar:
Oil
Jeeru (cumin)
Ground black pepper
Green pepper, julienne
Ginger, julienne

Add:
Shredded potatoes (from 1 small potato)
Ground peanuts (one small handful)

Add tapioca.

Add salt and yogurt and lemon juice to taste.

Enjoy!

Navaratri Potato Shak

Navaratri Potato Shak
(appropriate for fasting)

Boil potatoes, dice into half inch cubes.

Vaghar:
Ghee (clarified butter)
Jeeru (cumin)
Peanuts
Sesame seeds (tal)
Black pepper (mari)

Add boiled diced potatoes.

Add:
Salt
Sugar
Lemon juice to taste.

Enjoy!

Hapsi Halwa

Recipe from Video here (not in English).

Website here.

If you like burnt, caramel flavored sweets, this is for you.

Ingredients:

•  milk 2 kg
• plain flour 1/2 cup
• sugar 1 cup
• ghee 1 1/2 cup (clarified butter)
• walnuts 1/2 cup (sliced)
• almonds 1/2 cup (sliced)
• citric acid 1 ts (mix it with 1 cup of water)
• vinegar 3 tbs
• liquid glucose 4 tbs (dr oetker brand)
• green cardamom powder 1 ts
• unsweetend coco powder 2 tbs
• pistachios 8 pieces (sliced)
• greased tray

Recipe:

1.  in a pan add the milk and bring it to a boil.
2. once boiled add the citric acid and water mix in the milk, turn off the flame and cover it for a few min till the milk separat.
3. once the milk separats then cook on high flame till the water drys.
4. while drying the water add the coco powder, green cardamom powder mix well.
5. when 1 cup of water is left close the flame and add sugar, vinegar, plain flour & half of the clarified butter mix well, and on the flame low to medium and keep stirring.
6. while stirring keep adding the remaining clarified butter 1 tbs at a time, till the clarified butter comes on the surface.
7. once the butter comes on the surface add the nuts mix well and add the liquid glucose mix well (make sure they is no water in it completely dry)
8. now transfer the sweet in the greased tray, garnish it with the remaining nuts and pistachios, leave to cool down.
9. cut in pieces and serve.

Ginger Rasam

Rasam is a spicy broth. It’s a South Indian specialty, and both delicious and healthy. This recipe is adapted from Dakshin by Chandra Padmanabhan. I HIGHLY recommend this book for the best in South Indian Vegetarian recipes. Photos of each recipe are included as well 🙂

BLEND:

3 tbsp red gram dal (or pigeon peas, or toor dal)[masoor], soaked in 1 c water for 30 min
3-4 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
3 green chilies [I used 1/2 jalapeno]
2-3 pieces of fresh ginger (each piece 1 in)[I used a 1×1 cube of ginger]
3 tsp grated coconut
1 tbsp powdered jaggery
1.5 c water

VAGHAR in 2 tsp ghee:

1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder (hing)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 red chili pepper, halved [I used 1/2 dried red pepper]
a few curry leaves

Add salt to taste.

Add water as necessary (consistency is of a broth, not a soup).

Add a spoonful of tamarind concentrate.

Let simmer over low heat for as long as you can (1 hour or so).

Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!