Feasting for a good beginning - Urad Kokum Chi Dal

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Growing up, very little was known to me about these tangy, purple berries called "Kokum" which are native to India and very widely used in Konkani cooking. It was only until, Manisha blogged about this 'tadpole-like' guessing game, I came to know there existed such a thing called Kokum.

Since then, my hands were itching to get hold of these tiny  beauties and finally I did. A little google search would enlist the numerous medicinal properties that this fruit has. :-)

Kokum can be added to our regular dals, vegetables or curries, as a healthy replacement to tamarind or lemon, due to its high antioxidant properties. It is also very colorful when added as strips to salads or any yogurt-based dish(es) and renders a little tangy flavour along with the reddish purple colour.

If you wish to know more about this fruit, you should read this fantastic post by Shilpa.

Kokum is now readily available in most of the Indian stores, here in US.

...and here is how it looks -

dried kokum phool

According to this article on epicurious, lentils are one of the lucky foods to be consumed for a good new year start -

"Legumes including beans, peas, and lentils are also symbolic of money. Their small, seedlike appearance resembles coins that swell when cooked so they are consumed with financial rewards in mind. In Brazil, the first meal of the New Year is usually lentil soup or lentils and rice, and in Japan, the osechi-ryori, a group of symbolic dishes eaten during the first three days of the new year, includes sweet black beans called kuro-mame." .. read more

So, Today's recipe features lentils (so that we too can have a lucky start for 2011) - "Urad Kokum Chi Dal" is adapted from the curry bible - 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer. This is a delicious accompaniment to both fluffy rotis & a bowl of hot rice. The creaminess of urad dal intermingled with tartness from kokum and a slight hint of chillies play very well. Our taste buds were very happy when I had this with brown rice on one of those chilly weeknights.

Urad Kokum Chi Dal

Adapted from Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries

Ingredients -

1 cup urad dal (cream-colored, split black lentils)

4 pieces of dried black kokum pieces

1 tbsp ghee or oil

2 tsp cumin seeds

4-5 fresh green chillies (I used the Thai variety, stems removed & thinly sliced. add more if desired)

3 large cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 large tomato, finely chopped

1/4 cup shredded coconut (I used frozen, thawed slightly and then MW for 20 secs. fluff with fork)

salt - to taste

1/4 tsp turmeric

fresh curry leaves - 10-12

Preparation -

1. Place the lentils in a medium sized sauce pan, rinse & drain them thoroughly until the water is relatively clear. Add 3 cups of water and  Bring it to a boil (uncovered) over medium heat. Skim off and discard any foam that forms on the surface. Stir in turmeric and kokum pieces, cover the pan and cook on a medium-low heat for abotu 20 mins, until the lentils are a little tender.

2. Meanwhile, heat ghee or oil in a skillet, add cumin seeds, until they start to sizzle. (~ 10 seconds). Add in green chillies, garlic and saute until lightly browned. (~ 1 to 2 minutes). Mix in tomato pieces, shredded coconut, salt & curry leaves. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are completely mushy, but slightly chunky. (~ 3 to 4 minutes). Set aside the skillet.

3. Now, once the lentils are ready, add the sauce prepared in Step 2 and Stir. Pour 1 cup of water into the skillet to get those extra bits stuck at the bottom, ( I love those, they taste so yummy!) and pour the water back into the lentils. Cover the pan and simmer on medium heat until the sauce is thickened. (~ 10-12 minutes). 

4. Remove the kokum pieces and it is ready to serve with rotis or brown rice.

Check out how other blogger friends say about our *kokum* -

Nupur's Masoor Shengdana Amti (Lentil stew with Peanuts)
Musy's post on Kokum with links to many other ways to use Kokum
Red Chillies - Sol Kadi/Konkani style Kokum Kadi
Manasi's Kulith Pithla
Deesha's Kokum Tambli

Hope you are all ready for a fun New Year's Eve tomorrow. Don't forget to have one or more of these lucky foods on Jan 1st so that you can a good (read lucky) start to 2011.

[Update] - Sending this bowl of piping hot dal to Priya's MLLA 30 event, originally started by Susan of "The Well Seasoned Cook".

until next time,
Siri

My Life, in the Year 2010 (Part 2)

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Here is the Part 1 of the 2010 (January to May)  year-end wrap up.

June

"Belief in karma ought to make the life pure, strong, serene, and glad. Only our own deeds can hinder us; only our own will can fetter us. Once let men recognize this truth, and the hour of their liberation has struck. Nature cannot enslave the soul that by wisdom has gained power and uses both in love."
 ~ Annie Besant

Some experiences have the power to bring a drastic change in the overall perspective of one's lives. My service at Karma Kitchen DC was one such sort. In a nutshell, adhering to its motto, "Growing in Generosity", the concept of KK is quite fascinating to me. In their own words -

"Imagine a restaurant where there are no prices on the menu and where the check reads $0.00 with only this footnote: "Your meal was a gift from someone who came before you. To keep the chain of gifts alive, we invite you to pay it forward for those dine after you."...

I owe all this to my dear blogger friend - Sala of Veggie Belly. It all started as a mere bloggers meet (before I left DC for good) and during our conversation, she said - "Lets meet up at KK". I immediately jumped at the opportunity and truly truly cherish it forever. There are many days where I wish, I knew about KK a lot earlier and spent many more Sundays like this volunteering there. Sigh!

Anybody can volunteer at Karma Kitchen and they are based in three locations- Berkely, Washington DC and Chicago. All you have to do is fill out this form.

Favorite recipes for the month of June - Orange Pecan Cookies and Paneer Schezwan Rice

July

I am Bay Area baby! Yippee. :-). After some looong, sad, a zillion adieus later, I finally said goodbye to my beloved DC and landed in San Francisco-Bay Area which is (acc to me), very different for east coast. People here are much more casual and informal both in-person & at work, me think. It is also definitely a playpen of many many countercultures.

Our first trip together as soon as I landed (and while the summer lasts) was to the beautiful, picturesque Half Moon Bay. OMG! everything about it is just perfect - the drive, the beach, the fresh fruits and vegetables, the people, the sunshine - everything. and the best part, it is so close to our area. just 12 miles and there we are, at Bay Area's one of the most beautiful places. ..above pic was taken at HMB. :-)

Favorite recipes for the month of July - Makhani Dal, Mashed Amaranth and these two raitas.

August

I have a new priced possession this month - my 8 inch cast iron skillet. I love it soo much. :-). This is how my grandmom(s) used to cook, before the non-stick pans took over the world. there is still some rustic beauty attached to these and one skillet will last for ages. I have know people who get the iron pots & pans as their family inheritance. Read this post, some do's and don't about a cast iron skillet, if you wish to own one.

Favorite recipes for the month of August - Hotel style sambar and Skillet Banana Bread

September

Fall or Autumn is almost here and this which skies turn gray, leaves start to fall, people wake up late & mostly stay in-doors.

..one of the famous German poets - Rainer Maria Rilke, aptly describe 'FALL' in his famous poem - Herbsttag which translates to "Autumn Day"

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

this mood doesn't last long for me atleast, as I celebrate my birthday at the end of the month. Yey :-)

Favorite recipes for the month of September - Minty Peas Soup and Ma Choleyan Di Dal

October

No matter when you visit, Yosemite Valley has always something offer - to everybody, from hiking to camping to beautiful water falls.. Its grand majestic and breath taking views are to die for. But, the best time to visit here is definitely the springtime, that is when (as we came to know a tad bit late into our trip) the roaring waterfalls welcome you, coming from the snow melting on the High Sierra.

If you happen to be in or around Bay Area, I highly recommend to add a trip to Yosemite in your travel plans. Hey even Oprah & her best friend Gayle couldn't stop themselves from admiring this beautiful place.

Favorite recipes for the month of October - Wheat-free Chocolate chip cookies and Dahi Vada (Perugu Garelu)

November

photo taken by one my colleagues at work. (the Diwali and Halloween party)

It is November already and that means a holiday mood has started to set in in-and-around-me. The skies are getting darker by 4-5pm every day and the holiday gift season began, for me with that extra hour of sleep, thanks to the daylight savings ;-).

To celebrate the occasion of both Diwali & Halloween, we had a lovely party at work where there was lots of singing, dancing, loads of games and yummy potluck food.

..there could be no better way to set a good moods for the upcoming holiday season.

Favorite recipes for the month of November - Perfectly Baked Brown Rice and Eggless Blueberry Coffee Cake

December

Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home! 

~ Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, 1836

My little blog has got a new name and a new avatar this month. After blogging in the name of "Siri's Corner" for 3 long years, I have got a new name and a new .com domain, finally!. From now on, it is - "Cooking with Siri". :-). (www.cookingwithsiri.com)

It is holiday time - so my kitchen is brimming with loads of cakes and cookies, with friends coming in, with gifts pouring in,  - it is definitely the best time of the year!!!!!.

Favorite recipes for the month of December -  Barley Lentil Chunky Soup and  Brown Rice Bisibelebath

..it is hard to believe 2010 is almost over and am glad I survived it & as I say year after year  -

Another fresh year is here..
Another year to live..

To banish worry, doubt and fear..
To love, laugh and give.
This bright new year is given me

To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree, And sing more joyful songs!

~ Original quote by William Arthur Ward

Image Credit 

I know, I am a week early. but -

Wishing everybody a belated Christmas and a very very Happy and Prosperous 2011. Hope all your wishes come true in this coming year. :-)

Sending this Part 2 of my 2010 wrap up to Valli's Best of Year 2010 event.

until next time,
Siri

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Hello everybody,

This is to let you all know that my old feed URL -

http://feeds.feedburner.com/SirisCorner is no longer valid. I have no idea how this happened. But, what is done is already done!

Please update the new feed URL to as below & thank you for being patient with me during my transition to the new *Cooking With Siri* domain -

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Or, Subscribe again using the "Subscribe" Logo on the right side bar. :-)

Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Siri

My Life, in the Year 2010 (Part 1)

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Life has its own way of rewarding us and one doesn't need to search for miracles happening in far off places. Miracles happen in you, with you and around you - very close to "home". It is the time of the year when everything & everyone around is in a holiday-mood, snow falling & settled over pine trees, everybody  draped in red and white fabrics, with bells jingling all-along , celebrating for surviving through one-more year and eagerly awaiting for the new year - to welcome and to be welcomed by 2011. I think it is a good thing to have a habit of looking back at each year’s end to see what all is left behind in the past 12 months.

So, as our beloved 2010 is coming to a close, here I am sitting on a wooden chair in my tiny bay area bedroom, with rain pouring outside, contemplating - 'How was this year for me?'. then it gave me an idea to highlight and share just a few things that happened in my life, each month. Immediately, I opened up a notepad, wrote all the months down and started scribbling. It was fun to do so, as I had to skim through all the photos taken, read the old blog posts and 'relive' the moments again. :-). Also linking back some favorites recipes that were posted then.

Alrighty then. lets re-visit the year of 2010 again, Shall we?

January

2010 didn't begin on a good note for me. I was suffering from a skin ailment right on my cheek and was showing no signs of reducing.  (after 2 more months of agony, I completely recovered. - God gracious.) 

Hey, but that didn't stop me from having fun. Ok! A big snowstorm had hit Washington DC- Virginia area  then with snow pouring down us for weeks together & it was the perfect time to make a SNOW MAN. :-). me and my roomate G had a blast making this cutie pie, though my other roomie R was not-a-tiny-bit interested in our fun task. Oh well! ;-). 

Also, this was the month where a bunch of us started the herculean task of posting a picture-a-day. Sadly, some of us (incl me) bailed out within the next 6-7 months, but these two ladies are doing an awesome job at it.

Favorite Recipes posted in Jan 2010 - Dal Pakwaan and Chilli Tofu

February

A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes. ~ Hugh Down


...and Dennis is one such 'happy person'. His attitude towards life inspires you the most & he can make you brush off any thing in the most conflicting situations. His love for his wife after so many years is so immense that I nicknamed them - "Mr & Mrs Wonderful". I definitely miss those long chats of ours and  wish him a lots of happiness and hope both of them are having a wonderful retirement time. :-)

Favorite Recipes posted in Feb 2010 - Avocado Chimichurri Bruschetta and Fried Cauliflower

March

March was a month  filled with joy and butterflies-in-my-stomach excitement as I was getting married in less than a month!. I had to finish shopping from my never-ending list and there was a lot of decisions to be made right from what color of saree to wear to what food to be served for the guests to arrive. Luckily, the two superwomen in my life - my mom and my little sister (she is not little anymore, but she will be my little sister for life ;-)) took care of everything and made it a breeze. Thank you mom and Mincy for being there for me and making this whole process very memorable. Love you both and my dad too. He is the pillar of strength in my family and keeps us all *grounded* and close to reality. 

I also squeezed our some time to meet two lovely ladies (whom I knew until then only through their blogs) - Arundathi and Nandita in Hyderabad. We had a fun time getting to know each other and I wished it lasted more than a just a couple of hours. :-). Thank you both for coming to my marriage, You both were looking fabulous!.

..there was also a bittersweet moment at the end of the month when R, my long-time roommate for 2 years was leaving for a new job in Chicago. She is one of the best things that happened to me during my stay in Washington DC and will always cherish the moments we spent together.

Favorite posts of March 2010 - Roti on an Egg & these two roundups.

April

"Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. Love still stands when all else has fallen.” 

~ Author Unknown

The *big day* had finally arrived and here I was tying the knot, with the love of my life. Words cease to exist to explain how happy I was (& still am). Thankfully, the event went smoothly without any major near-misses. Now that we are talking about S, I have to mention about the sweetest. warmest sister-in-law one can ever have and I am lucky to have one. - K, who blogs under the name of TastyTouch.
The most scary part for any newly-wed-bride is to survive through those first few initial days in her in-law's house. Fortunately, I felt no difference between my own and my in-law's house, largely due to the fact that K was there, to be the bridge between me & everybody in the house & to help me out whenever possible. Thank you K for everything and for just being there with me - at every step those initial 4 days!

This whole month I was busy gobbling up my mother's goodies back home, so nothing much cooked my kitchen . :-)

May

"May there always be work for your hands to do, may your purse always hold a coin or two. May the sun always shine on your windowpane, may a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near you, may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you."

~ Irish Blessing

Life most of the times, sometimes has its way to throw some googlies at you and you would never, ever see it coming. That is what happened to us, this month. S, who was working to NC for past few years had to move to Bay Area. Yep, East coast to West coast, which is a big change for me, as I had to leave all my life, my friends back in DC, pack up my bags and move with him to CA.

But, even the gloomiest outlook contains some hopeful or consoling aspect and the silver lining here was - I got to meet my long-time blogger friend DK. Until then, for 3 long years we had seen through each in every joy & sorrow and now for the first time, we finally met each other. I couldn't be more happier than this very moment, when I have the two people who matter the most to me are right there along my side!

Favorite recipe for May 2010 - Anaheim Peppers with Besan (Chickpea flour) stuffing (made by S)

****************************************************************************************************************

Phew! just 5 months and I am a bit tired already :-). I will take a break here and come back rested with my post from June to December, a little later.

[Update] - I am sending post to Valli's Best of Year 2010 event. I hope she wouldn't mind getting my 2010 wrap-up(s) in two parts. :-)

Until then, Have a wonderful week ahead folks.
Siri

Blue Agave Cake with Nuts, Ginger and Lemon

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I have a little announcement to make, before I go ahead with my post today. Finally, after a lot going back & forth, I have got a domain name for myself and it took 3+ years for me to do that!. So, from now on, this little, tiny tot will be called as 'Cooking with Siri' - www.cookingwithsiri.com (instead of Siri's Corner, as it was formerly known).

Hope you all will be with me and read along my posts, just like you did before, from past few years!. :-)

"....food writing is a skill that must be practiced repeatedly. You must spend an extraordinary amount of time learning about food and writing, says O'Neill, just as you would spend years learning how to play the piano well. But persevere and most likely it will pay off in the end.."

~ this is an excerpt from Dianne Jacob's book (which I am totally in love with) - Will Write For Food.

The same holds good not only for *food writing* but for any new (ad)venture that we take upon. Isn't it. As somebody, who runs this blog all-alone (like many others out there) - from being a recipe developer to chef to food stylist to food photographer, it takes immense amount of time & effort to slowly master each one of the fields. And I think, taking good photographs is the key for running a successful blog. It is important to engage and entice the audience which would make them want to rush to their kitchens to whip up the dish for themselves.

I have to say - am taking baby steps towards becoming a good photographer and to enhance my skills and to get a new viewpoint about how to take good photographs, I recently attended a day-long Food Photography Workshop, here in San Francisco, organized by Digital Media Playground and Danielle Tsi. It is always fun to meet some fellow bloggers who share the same passion for food and its photography. Here is a flickr stream that Denise has put together from the photos taken at the workshop.

If you are interested, they have one more workshop coming up for January 8th 2011. Click here for more details about how to register.

that is me, trying to get a shot of some tortilla chips & guacamole. (Pic taken by Denise)

..and below are some shots taken by yours truly!

..Now let's see what is cooking in my kitchen tonight, Shall we?

It is sugarless, butterless cake made with whole wheat pastry flour, fresh ginger, nuts and dried fruit. To give some sweetness to the cake, I have used - for the first time, some Blue Agave Sweetener (can be easily substituted with honey as suggested in the original recipe).

According to wikipedia article - "Agave nectar (also called agave syrup) is a sweetener commercially produced in Mexico from several species of agave, including the Blue Agave (Agave tequilana), Salmiana Agave (Agave salmiana), Green Agave, Grey Agave, Thorny Agave, and Rainbow Agave.[1][2]  Agave nectar is sweeter than honey, though less viscous...."

Yes, I did feel this was bit sweeter and less syrupy than our regular honey. A lot has been said about this blue agave syrup in recent times. It is topic of debate - with some saying it is a healthy alternative because of it low glycemic index but some argue - the agave syrup available in markets right now has high amounts of corn syrup which doesn't make it any better than our regular sugar.

But, I believe Sugar at the end of the day is S.U.G.A.R. - whether we get that from honey or brown sugar or regular white sugar or this blue agave nectar, it doesn't matter. Enjoying it (in any form) in moderation is the key and you don't need worry about anything else!

Blue Agave Cake with Nuts, Ginger and Lemon

Honey was replaced in this cake with the Blue Agave Sweetener truly for experimental purposes and I loved it. I made two loaves - one for my dear husband & other for my  colleagues at work. All of them gave thumbs up to it and I am a happy girl at the end of the day! After all, it is holiday-time. Make this for this Christmas or New Year and spread some healthy holiday cheer around.

Happy Holidays everyone.

Adapted from Cookthink

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups of wholewheat pastry flour (or All purpose flour works too)
1 cup blue agave sweetener or use honey
1/4 cup chopped pecans or use any nuts that are available in your pantry
1/4 cup dried cranberries + dried blueberries
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
zest of 1 large lemon
2 eggs (replace with applesauce to make it egg-less)
1 tsp of finely chopped almonds (for the topping)

Other topping ideas - Sprinkle confectioner's sugar or toasted coconut or chocolate curls or chopped roasted nuts.

Preparation:

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350 F, rack in the middle. Grease a loaf pan or a cake pan with oil spray. Keep aside.

Step 2.


Dry ingredients: In a large bowl, mix in whole wheat pastry flour with baking powder, salt, cinnamon, fresh ginger and lemon zest.

Wet Ingredients: In a bowl, Whisk for atleast 3-4 mins, eggs and blue agave nectar or honey until they are slightly emulsified (well combined into a brownish liquid). Slowly, in a steady stream add warm milk. Add oil and vanilla extract. Mix well, one final time.

Step 3: Mix with a wooden spatula, the dry ingredients to the wet ones, little at-a-time. Don't worry, batter may be a little thin. Fold in chopped nuts and dried fruit. Mix once.

Step 4: Pour in the greased loaf or cake pa. If using chopped almonds (or any nuts) as topping, sprinkle them on the cake.Bake for 40-45 mins. (depending the size of your pan), until the cake is puffed and deep golden brown. Mine was done in 38 minutes.

Doneness test - A toothpick inserted in the center of the cake will come out either clean or with only a few crumbs clinging to it.

Step 5: Cool for 10 minutes. If using confectioner sugar or toasted coconut or chocolate curls, sprinkle on the top of th cake. Serve.

If you have any feedback,  please use this updated form or email me at: blog[at]cookingwithsiri[dot]com.

and here is how my new FB page looks like - .

Hope you all have relaxing weekend ahead.

until next time,

Siri

Stuffed Eggplant (with Onion, Coconut and Chickpea Flour)

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The book that I am currently reading on my Kindle is Dianne Jacob's "Will Write For Food" - a complete guide about how-to's to the art of food writing. The book has references and interviews with many renowned star chefs Molly O Neill (who compares making a soup to a road trip in a blizzard) to accomplished food editors like Ruth Reichl to NYT restaurant critic Mimi Sheraton and many others. Truly such personalities *show* food, not just *tell* about food by using an umpteen number of adjectives. They, through their evocative, vivid writing styles  - transport their readers to a faraway, believable neverland, just for a minute and titilate the senses by taking on a journey, with them.

As you read through the pages, one would realize how beautiful and sensual 'food writing' could be. It truly describes what are the essential ingredients required to be successful and/or passionate foodie writer and also talks about what distinguishes the great food writers from the rest. I could not  agree more when Dianne when she says, in the context of joy of food writing - "On days where you're so immersed in your work that the hours fly by, you know you've chosen a great profession".

This book is a must for all who have passion for food and who wants to write good food articles and who secretly wish to write magazine-worthy articles. :-)

..now coming to today's recipe. Eons ago, I posted a Stuffed Eggplant recipe, which takes a bit longer to make. Today's version is much simpler, without being heavy on spices and tastes equally good. The basic idea is from Raaga's recipe and I tweaked that a bit to suit our palate.

Stuffed Eggplant (with Onion, Coconut and Chickpea Flour)

This recipes calls for tender baby eggplants that are stuffed with a onion,coconut and chickpea flour mixture. The highlight of this recipe is the fried coconut, which gives a slightly sweet finish to the overall dish. Serve with plain rice and Urad dal with tomatoes for a complete, nutritious meal.

Adapted from Raaga's recipe

Preparation:

1. Heat 2 tsp of oil and add 2 cups of finely chopped onions. Saute on medium-low heat until a little brownish color. Add 3-4 tbsp of grated coconut. (I used frozen coconut, microwaved for 30 secs and fluffed with a fork). Fry until the mixture turns brown.

2. Add 1/2 tsp of ginger-garlic paste, little turmeric powder, red chilli powder (as per taste), 1/2 tsp of garam masala and salt to taste. Finally add 3 tbsp of chickpea flour (besan). Mix well and saute for 3-4 mins until the raw smell of the flour is gone. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

3. Meanwhile slit small baby eggplants (I used about 9-10 small ones) crosswise and stuff with this onion-coconut-besan mixture.

4. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and drop the stuffed eggplant carefully, one-by-one. Cover and cook on medium heat for 3-4 mins. Turn the eggplants on the other side and cook untill well done. Make sure they are just charred on each side and not burnt.

5. Serve with hot plain rice.

Happy Holidays everyone.

until next time,
Siri

[UPDATE] - Do you want to host Healing Foods event? Slots from April 2011 are available. and from January 2011 onwards, there is an Amazon giftcard to win from every Healing Food event. Click here for more details.

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Barley Lentil Chunky Soup

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Barley Lentil Chunky Soup

Fall is all around us and during these cold, rainy, gloomy days - we need something that provides some warmth to our sullen bodies and pep us up. Hence this Barley Lentil Chunky soup which is in-short a 'store-house' of all essential nutrients. I made this soup for the first time for dinner in the beginning of the week and served it yesterday for lunch again along with toasted 3-seed Sourdough bread. I have gotten some rave reviews from my other-half. Give this a try and just like me, your loyalty to it forever is guaranteed!

Note: The soup keeps up to 7 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer, which makes it a wholesome make-ahead meal ready to be served on those busy weeknights. 

Adapted from here.

Preparation:

1. Rinse and Drain 1/2 cup of green or brown lentils. (I used green).

2. Chop up 1/2 cup of onion, 1 cup of cubed carrots and 1 cup of (fresh or frozen) spinach. Mince 1 clove of garlic.

3. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a big sauce pan, saute chopped onion for 3-4 mins. Add in carrots and cook for 5-6 mins, until a bit soft. Add garlic, mix and saute for 2 mins. Season with salt  and add washed lentils, 1/2 cup of pearl barley, 3/4 cup chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp of cumin powder, 2 cups of vegetable broth and  2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for atleast 25-30 mins or until tender.

Note: If you are using instant pearl barley, then adjust the time accordingly.

4. Finally add spinach and cook for 5- 6 mins. Season with salt (if needed) & pepper and 1 tbsp vinegar.

5. Garnish with cilantro and/or serve with a dollop of yogurt as topping. Yum!

P.S - Don't worry about the proportions. Just keep tasting as you-go. this recipe is very wholesome and very forgiving with measurements. :-)

Variations:

1. Add some fresh lemon juice, instead of vinegar for some tangyness.
2. Dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, basil work very well too.
3. Lentils can be easily substituted with any kind of legumes.

Sending this piping hot soup to My Legume Love Affair # 30, guest hosted this month by Priya, originally conceptualized by Susan of 'The Well Seasoned Cook'.

Hope you all have a relaxing weekend ahead.

until next time,
Siri

Brown Rice Bisibelebath

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There are some recipes which sound just flawless, like this luscious, creamy lentil dish. When best of the two worlds meet and make love, this is what we get (to eat): (Brown Rice + Bisibelebath). I recommend to make this ultra simple bisibelebath powder at home instead of getting some store-bought brand. Go for the latter, only if you fall short of time. I have tried to make this recipe with both and the difference is very evident. Replace the *white glucose coated rice* with such healthy whole-grains as much as you can. Trust me, you will do better, you will feel better & you will automatically eat just right!

The Making of Brown Rice Bisibelebath 

This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite bloggers - Madhuram of Eggless Cooking. In my quest to find wholesome recipes using brown rice, I found this and loved it. The rice and dal proportions are just perfect and once fully cooked, there is no so chewy, gummy texture to the brown rice. All we taste is how smooth and silky the cooked dal coats the rice & with 4 full servings of veggies, this is a one-pot meal in itself.

creamy, delicious, silky textured bisibelebath..

Serves 4 -6

Preparation:

Wash and Soak 1.5 cup of brown rice with 1 cup of toor dal in 7 cups of warm water for atleast 20 minutes. Tranfer the same into a pressure cooker , on medium heat and cook until 5 whistles. Take off from burner and set aside until pressure completely dies down.

Bisibelebath powder: Meanwhile, in a small pan, heat 2 teaspoon of ghee, and roast one-by-one : 2 tbsp of chana dal, 1 tbsp of urad dal, 2 tbsp of coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds, 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns, 4 to 5 cloves, 2 inch broken cinnamon stick, 4 red chillies and 2 tbsp of grated coconut. Cool a bit and grind into a fine powder. We will not use all-of-it for this recipe. I had to use about half of it and saved the rest in a air tight container.

In a wide pan, heat 2 tsp of oil, add 2 tsp of mustard seeds, until they start to crackle. Then drop curry leaves, 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1 medium onion, thinly sliced. Saute for 4-5 mins until they become a bit translucent and then add all the veggies you want. - I used carrots, green beans, drumsticks, tomatoes, yam, cucumber, snake gourd and mango pieces, about 4 cups. Cook for 5-6 mins.

Then add 3 tbsp of tamarind juice (or more depending on your tanginess you want). Cook for couple of minutes more. Add about 3-4 tbsp of bisibelebath masala powder. (recipe above). Mix well and add 1 cup of water if desired. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Finally add the rice & dal mixture and season with salt. Add 1 tsp of sugar (optional). On low flame, let it simmer for 3-4 mins more (make sure the bottom is not burnt). Serve as-is or with yogurt and/or appadams on the side, like we did.

Notes: Make the bisibelebath powder, in advance and store it in a air tight container in fridge, for it to stay fresh. 

Hope you have a fun-filled week ahead.

[Update] - sending this the event I am guest hosting "WWC: Brown Rice" originally conceptualized by Sanjeeta .

until next time,
Siri

Chickpea Sundal

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Chickpea Sundal

Typically made on Navarathi days as 'neivedyam', Sundal prepared with any kind of legumes is a very healthy and highly nutritious snack cum side dish. It is interesting how you make a dish all-the-time but never care to blog about it. :-). Well, that happens to me all the time. Blame my laziness or the hectic life-style juggling between work & home. This is one such simple dish and Enjoy!

Preparation:

1. Open up 1 can of chickpeas. Drain the liquid and wash with water couple of times. Keep aside. (or soak overnight and pressure cook until 4-5 whistles).

2. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a skillet and add 1 tsp of mustard seeds & asafoetida. Add minced ginger and finely chopped green chillies. (optionally curry leaves and red chillies can be added)

3. After a minute, mix in chickpeas. Season with salt and little amchur powder (raw mango powder). Cook for 5-6 minutes. Finally sprinkle 2 tbsp of shredded coconut. Cook for couple of more minutes. Serve warm as-is or as a side dish.

the same was also blogged by -

Nags
Raaga
DK

Before I say bubye, here is a song I heard recently and instantly loved it.

Hope you all have a relaxing weekend ahead.

until next time,
Siri