Healthy Salad with Rubies (Lebanon)

Ingredients:
½ cup broken wheat (coarse in texture)
½ cup chick peas (canned or freshly boiled, drained)
1 tbsp heaped pomegranate seeds
½ tbsp mint leaves, torn
1 tsp fresh cilantro or coriander, finely chopped (parsley can also be added)
1 tbsp cucumber, diced in small pieces
1 tbsp carrot, shredded
1 pinch black pepper, coarsely ground
1 pinch red chilli powder
2 pinch chaat masala (optional) [available at Indian grocery stores]
2 tsp lemon juice (+/- as per your taste)
Salt to taste
Preparation:
Transfer ½ cup broken wheat in a bowl and add 350 ml boiling water over it.
Let it soak for 30-35 minutes
Drain and squeeze out excess water from broken wheat
Transfer to a mixing bowl and add rest of the ingredients except pomegranate.

Mix them well and sprinkle with pomegranate before serving.

Curds/Coconut Curry + Bittergourd Side-Dish

I love simple meals, and this is one of them. Hot rice, a sour and spicy Curd/Coconut curry, a spicy vegetable, some pickle and pappadam; makes me happy, any day, any time. You will also catch me slurping on a large bowl of this brew; not necessarily at lunch time .
Care to try ? Am sure you will ….again and again.
Curd/Coconut Curry:
2 Cups curds
1 Cup desiccated coconut
1 Cup (approx) water
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
2-3 green chilies
Small bunch of coriander leaves
Curry leaves – few
Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
Methi seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
Red chillies 2 – roughly broken
Ginger -1″ crushed in a pestle
Salt to taste
Oil or ghee

Grind very fine -the coconut, cumin seeds, green chillies and coriander leaves. {I separately put the desiccated coconut in a dry grinder and powder it very fine, then add the remaining ingredients- this gives best results}. I used 2 green chillies – you can add more if you like it more spicy; my family likes it mild. Keep aside till required.

In a pan, add little oil/ghee and put the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add methi, crushed ginger, red chillies and curry leaves. Then add the coconut/chilly paste and saute for sometime. Add curds a tablespoon at a time and mix till fully incorporated. It is important to stir immediately when adding the curds; or it may separate and curdle. Add salt to taste and enough water to make a thick curry and keep on fire till it comes to a boil. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve steaming hot.

Bitter-Gourd Side Dish
1 Kg Bittergourd (Cut into halves-remove pith and slice fine).
1.5 teaspoon/or more chilly powder or bafat powder
1.5 cups thick curds.

Wash the bittergourd. Add salt and keep aside for 10-15 minutes. Then wash away the salt and squeeze out as much water as you can. Add chilly/bafat powder, curds and salt to taste (careful with the salt- as you just added salt and washed it out). Let it rest for 15 minutes.
In a non-stick pan, put 3-4 tablespoons of oil and add the bittergourd mixture. Keep on a very slow fire. Keep stirring every 5 minutes or so and scrape off any that may be stuck to the pan. It will take about 1 hour for it to cook and be nice and crisp. When it is brown and crispy add 1 tablespoon sugar..and let it caramalise. Keep stirring till you can see oil separate from the mixture. Put the fire off…. keep the vessel in a tilted position..so that all the excess oil drains out. Transfer to another dish…(so that you dont have too much oil). Serve hot.

Shrimp and Cabbage Starter

This simple Starter or Salad is a keeper. Try it.

Ingredients :

½ cup mayonnaise
1 cup small shrimps
2 cups finely chopped cabbage
½ cup lettuce –chopped
½ teaspoon –sugar
2 tablespoons – lemon juice
1 teaspoon – white pepper (or black)
2 or 3 green chillies – slit
Coriander leaves – few springs – chopped fine
Dill leaves
1 onion –chopped fine

Wash, clean the shrimp and boil in 2 cups water till done. {Do not overcook or the shrimp will be tough). Drain the shrimp and discard excess water, if any.

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar and pepper.

In another bowl, add cabbage, lettuce leaves, dill, coriander leaves, onion, green chilly and shrimp. Add the mayonnaise mixture and stir until well combined.

Refrigerate till serving time. Can also be served as an appetizer in small bowls, garnished with coriander leaves and dill.

Brinjal Salad

2 cups curds
3 medium sized brinjals cubed
2 tomatoes large
2 onions
2-3 green chillies
Few coriander sprigs
cumin powder (dry roasted on a skillet and powdered fine)
Chilly powder

Cut brinjals into cubes or slices.  Add a little salt and deep fry and drain on paper towel.

Slice tomatoes and onion into neat and thin slices.  Cut green chillies and coriander leaves fine.

Whisk curds with a little slat and a dash of sugar.  In a shallow dish put half the fried brinjals.  Sprinkle little chillie powder and cumin powder.  Add blobs of curds. Put a layer of tomatoes and onions.  Sprinkle green chillies and coriander.  Sprinkle little chilly and cumin powder.  Next layer – brinjals, onions, tomatoes, curds, coriander and cumin sprinkle.  Cover with cling wrap and chill in the refrigerator till ready to serve.

Jhatphat Dal

I have an admission to make….. I think I can survive eating only  Dal and rice 365 days in a year.   I love Dal so much that I sometimes wonder if in my previous birth I was born to a farmer who grew ‘Lentils’ .    There are so many varieties of  Dal and some have a very thick consistency,  some not so thick and some so very watery.  I love all of them.

How do you like to have your Dal ?   Do you like to pour it in a big bowl and have it like soup?  Or do you like to have it splashed on your rice and have it with some spicy pickle?  I have a friend who loves to have Dal,   served nicely alongside the rice..and then slowly mixes the dry rice with the Dal and then slurp……..  just like the one shown in the picture below

This Dal is one which will take you less than 10 minutes to prepare.. and that is why I have named it ‘Jhatphat Dal’ (which means..Dal made in a jiffy).   I make it in a pressure cooker……. Read the recipe for more….and don’t forget to tell me how you liked it .

Tur Dal – 1 cup

Water 3 cups

3 Tomatoes

3 green chillies  (Or more if you want it spicy)

Small piece of ginger  (cut and crushed)

4-5 cloves of garlic  (crushed)

Shredded red chillies

Curry leaves

Coriander leaves

Mustard seeds

Cummin seeds

Turmeric powder

Pick and wash the dal and keep it aside.

In a pressure cooker… pour some oil and add mustard seeds. When they splutter add Cummin seeds and  then add curry leaves and red chillies… then ginger, garlic, green chillies, onion and sauté for sometime.  Then add the tomatoes and stir-fry for some time.  Add the dal and turmeric and salt and stir.  Pour water and put the pressure cooker cover and keep it on for just one whistle (of the pressure cooker).  When serving sprinkle with coriander leaves.

Serve Dal alongside rice and some spicy mango-pickle.

Lady-finger Side-dish

This is a dish that was passed on to me by my Aunt Mary, my Mom’s sister.  God bless her soul for she is now resting with the angels in heaven.   Every little thing that she cooked would turn out so delicious that at the end of the meal we would always be licking our fingers.  Her chutneys, her cutlets and her home-made cream caramel were something to die for.  I miss you Aunty and fondly remember how much you loved us and all the lovely things you made for us.

The tip to making this dish is that absolutely no water to be added and it has to cook gently in the spices, onions and tomatoes that you add.    A sure-hit is this one…even to those who say…I hate Lady-fingers!!!!.

Ingredients :-

500 grams Lady-fingers (washed and patted dry with tissue or a cloth) and cut into slanting 1” slices.

2-3 Onions

3 medium tomatoes

2 green chillies

Mustard seeds

Curry leaves

Red Chillies cut into shreds

1 tablespoon vegetable powder (or more if you want more spicy

¾ cup fresh coconut grated

Oil

Take oil in a skillet and add mustard seeds.  When they splutter add red chillies and curry leaves and sauté.  Then add onions and green chillies and fry till onions get slightly brown speckles.   Add tomatoes and sauté.  Then add chillie powder and coconut powder and fry for sometime.  Lastly add the lady-fingers and salt to taste and keep on stirring every now and then till they are cooked…say 15-20 minutes.  No water to be added at all.

Serve with chappaties.

Hara Bhara Kebab

Have adapted this recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor’s Recipe Book, Khana Khazana.    This recipe book is one of my cherished possessions as it was given to me by a dear friend.   As I browse through the recipes, I always reminisce the good times we had once upon a time.

Filled with the goodness of  ‘Spinach’,  green-peas and potatoes, this is one Vegetable Kebab that you will love to make again and again.  Even the kids will love them.

Ingredients :

Boiled Potatoes -3 medium

Boiled green peas -3/4 cup

Spinach – 200 grams

Chopped green chillies – 1 tablespoon

Chopped green corriander - 3 tablespoons

Chopped ginger 1 tablespoon

Chaat masala – 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Cornflour – 3 tablespoons

Oil for shallow or deep frying.

Peel and grate boiled potatoes.  Mash boiled green peas. Blanch Spinach leaves in plenty of salted boiling water, refresh in cold water and squeeze out excess water. Finely chop.  Mix grated potatoes, peas and spinach.  Add chopped green chillies, chopped green corriander, chopped ginger, chaat masala and salt.  Add cornflour for binding.  Divide the mixture into small portions and shape each portion into a ball and then press it in between your palms to give it a flattish shape.  (Some add a bit of green colour to the mixture- I skipped this).  Heat oil in a pan and shallow or deep fry in hot oil for three to four minutes.   Serve hot with tomato ketchup or peanut sauce.

Peach Salsa

I love the velvety red and yellow skin of peaches and if I am out on my rare grocery shopping jaunt,  you can bet your last dollar that I will be back with a few Peaches.  

Here is a recipe for a Peach Salsa, which is a hot favourite of mine.

4-5  Peaches cubed – with skin off.

1 chopped onion

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red pepper deseeded and cubed

1 tablesppon fresh coriander leaves

1/2 tsp sugar

1 green chillie chopped

1 clove garlic…finely minced.

In a medium mixing bowl put all the ingredients.  Toss gently so that all ingredients are thorougly mixed.  Cover and chill for 1 hour.