Tabbouleh

Note: This makes the amount you usually get in a restaurant as a side dish, half a cup or so? For my family of four, it is the perfect amount.

2 tsp fine bulgur wheat
Juice of 1 large lemons, to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (from 1/4 bunch)
¼ cup chopped fresh mint (optional)
1 ripe tomato, very finely chopped
1/4 sweet onion, finely chopped or 1 scallion, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Place the bulgur in a bowl, and cover with water by 1/2 inch. Soak for 30 minutes, until slightly softened. Drain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer, and press the bulgur against the strainer to squeeze out excess water.
2. Transfer to a large bowl, and toss with the lemon juice, parsley, mint, tomatoes, onion and salt.
3. Leave in the fridge overnight, so that the bulgur can continue to absorb liquid and swell.
4. Add the olive oil, toss together, taste and adjust seasonings.

Syrian Roasted Red Pepper Dip

aka Muhammara

2 roasted red peppers (jarred is fine)
75g/2½oz walnuts
75g/2½oz white breadcrumbs
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
fresh mint leaves, to garnish
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Blend the red peppers in a food-processor until smooth and put in a large bowl.

2. Blend most of the walnuts until you have fine crumbs and add to the pepper purée. Mix in the breadcrumbs and season well.

3. Stir in the tahini and pomegranate molasses and loosen with olive oil and a splash of water, if necessary.

4. Arrange in a serving dish and garnish with fresh mint and the remaining walnuts

Syrian Chickpea Salad

Chickpea Salad

400g tin fava beans/broad beans, drained
1 can garbanzo beans OR half of the cooked chickpeas
handful fresh parsley leaves
1 beef tomato, roughly chopped
squeeze lemon juice
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
good pinch ground cumin
2–3 spring onions, thinly sliced

1. To make the chickpea salad, mix half the remaining cooked chickpeas with the beans. Add the remaining ingredients and season to taste.

 

 

Candied Purple Cabbage

Note: YOU WILL NEED TWO HOURS TO LET THIS SIMMER ON THE STOVE!! It’s so worth it, but make sure you have that kind of time. This recipe does not require constant attention or mixing, so it’s good to have on the stove while doing something else.

Adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/40533/red-cabbage/

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 head red/purple cabbage, finely chopped or shredded
1 small apple, peeled and diced
1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinaigrette
one handful of finely chopped onion (optional)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp butter
1/4 c water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put everything into a medium sized pot. Bring to boil over medium high heat on stove, uncovered. Mix well.
2. Once boiled, decrease stove heat to low and put lid on pot. Let cook, stirring from time to time, for around two hours.
3. It is done when the water is gone, and the taste is like candied yum.
4. Enjoy!

Note: I found the final result tasted a LOT like gulkand. If I had added cardamom it would have been uncanny.

Note: No one in my house could believe this was cabbage. It was awesome and went fast.

This recipe’s a keeper. Makes a perfect side dish. It’s excellent for a pot luck because it looks unusual and impressive, everyone loves it, it doesn’t cost a lot, and although it takes two hours to make, it’s not a high maintenance two hours.

 

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!!

Dudhi Chutney

NOTE: This recipe uses up the dudhi peel from the Dudhi Halwa recipe.

The chutney can be enjoyed with rice or paratha.

INGREDIENTS:

Dudhi skin, chopped finely, from 1 whole dudhi (just over 2 c)

Vaghar:

2 tsp oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp mustard seeds
few bay leaves
pinch hing
1 tbsp chana dal
1 tbsp urad dal
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 – 2 green chilies, chopped (the long finger sized ones)

Blend with:

pea sized amount of tamarind paste
3 tbsp grated coconut
salt to taste
water (as needed to blend to proper consistency)

Directions:

1. Do vaghar.
2. Add chopped dudhi.
3. Take everything and put it into blender. Blend.
4. Enjoy!

HEALTH BENEFITS OF DUDHI: It contains many vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin C and folate. It is extremely popular for weight loss. Especially dudhi juice. Dudhi is extremely popular for reducing high blood pressure and keeping your heart healthy. It is also consumed with bitter melon juice by diabetics to normalize their blood sugar levels.

 

Easy Spanish Rice

Ingredients:

1 c rice (uncooked, unwashed)
1/4 c diced onion or green onion
1/4 c diced red, yellow and green pepper and jalapenos
1 c pace picante medium salsa
1 c tomato soup (leftovers are great for this)
1 c water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp cumin, paprika

Directions:

1. Sautee onions and peppers in vegetable oil over medium heat. Add cumin and paprika.
2. Add rice. Sautee until brown.
3. Add salsa, soup and water.
4. Cover pot and let simmer 20 min until liquid has been absorbed.
5. Enjoy!

Cast Iron Cornbread

I make this in a cast iron dutch oven. It can be made in an 8 x 8 brownie pan as well.

This is my original recipe.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 c milk
1/2 c sour cream
1/3 c sugar
1/2 c mashed potatoes (leftovers work perfect)
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1 c yellow cornmeal
1 c all purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preaheat oven to 425 F. PLACE CAST IRON DUTCH OVEN INTO OVEN WHILE IT IS PREHEATING.
2. Mix wet ingredients in kitchenaid.
3. Mix dry ingredients in other bowl.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in kitchenaid. Mix well.
5. Take cast iron out of oven. Add 2 tsp of butter and swirl around until bottom of pan is coated.
6. Add batter to cast iron.
7. Bake (without lid!) for 30 min.
8. Cool, cut and enjoy!

Note: If you make potato soup and have leftovers, you can use that as well, or corn soup or mushroom soup. Adjust the milk content downward to compensate for the liquidity of the soup. Cornbread batter has the consistency of thick pancake batter.

Optional: Chop a jalapeno into the batter if you like your cornbread spicy.

 

Stuffed Eggplant Poriyal

This is a South Indian style stuffed roasted eggplant adapted from the book “Dakshin”.

Stuffing:

VAGHAR:

1 tsp oil
1 tbsp coriander seeds
3/4 tbsp black gram dal OR  urad dal, picked over and rinsed
3/4 tbsp bengal gram dal OR yellow split peas OR chana dal, picked over and rinsed
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp hing
1/2 dried red chili

ADD:

1/2 c flaked coconut (or 1/2 fresh coconut, grated), dry roasted till brown
salt to taste
a spoonful of tamarind concentrate
a little water

THEN:

Blend it all together into a thick paste.

STUFF paste into 2-3 baby eggplants.

Eggplants should be slit into quarters lengthwise, and not cut through entirely.

Fill the eggplant slits with stuffing and set aside.

NOTE: Slit eggplants only AFTER stuffing is ready, or eggplants will become discolored.

THEN:

VAGHAR:

3 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black gram dal OR urad dal, picked over and rinsed
1 tsp bengal gram dal OR yellow split peas OR chana dal, picked over and rinsed
1 red chili, halved
a few curry leaves

ADD:

Stuffed eggplants, salt to taste, and a little water.

Sprinkle leftover stuffing over eggplants.

Cover and simmer over low heat until eggplants are tender.

Remove lid and saute for a few more minutes, without stirring too much. Take care not to break the eggplant.

Serve hot with rice.

OPTION1: Can stuff green peppers instead of eggplant if you want.

OPTION2: ALTERNATE (EASY PEASY) PASTE:

3/4 c roasted peanuts
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt to taste

Add 2 medium sized chopped tomatoes after eggplant is tender.

NOTE1: Eggplant did not cook when I made it as above because I used a big baby eggplant instead of those really small baseball sized eggplant.

NOTE2: If using a big eggplant, it is advisable to slit, stuff, and wrap in aluminum foil and let cook at 400 F for 30 min or so, then proceed with VAGHAR above.

NOTE3: Next time, do not add the extra masala to the pot as the same time as the eggplant; it burns. Add it after the eggplant has cooked, and then let it simmer for five minutes or so.

 

Rice Salad

Ingredients:

3 c water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1 pinch saffron
1/2 c converted rice (?)
1/2 c oil
2-3 tbsp white vinegar
fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Bring water to boil.
2. Add bay leaf, salt, saffron.
3. Stir in the rice so the water never stops boiling.
4. Reduce heat to low or warm.
5. Cover and let cook 11-13 min.
6. Toss with fork.
7. Drain the rice and add oil, vinegar, and some fresh ground black pepper. Let it cook with this sauce. Then add:

Add:

2/3 c finely chopped onion
1/3 c finely chopped seeded tomato
1/2 c finely chopped celery
1/2 c finely chopped green pepper
1/4 c raisins
1/2 c pinenuts
1/3 c chopped parsley

Toss well. Add more oil and vinegar and seasoning to taste.

Spoon into salad bowl.

Decorate with sliced eggs and tomatoes.

Serve very cold.