Lotus Root Curry July 19, 2009

Last week when I went vegetable shopping at my local Asian market, I saw lotus roots and thought I would try them out. As I’d never cooked with lotus roots, I looked for recipes online and was fascinated to read about soups, chips, fritters, and myriad other preparations with lotus root. I also polled my family for recipes. So, now I have a few recipes to try. Given G’s off spicy food for a bit, I decided to use a variation of my sister-in-law’s recipe.

All websites and recipes warned about the fact that lotus roots take time to cook, and that they could be bitter to taste. There were numerous details of the health benefits of lotus roots, especially its fiber content.  Most Japanese preparations suggested soaking the chopped lotus roots in water spiked with a couple of tablespoons of vinegar, to avoid browming and also lose its bitterness, of any. I decided to do this and also to cook the lotus roots in the pressure cooker ( I don’t have the patience needed to boil it till it’s done and know my pressure cooker will get it done without me fussing over it)!

What you need
- 2 cups of lotus roots
- For soaking, a large bowl filled with water mixed with 2-3 Tblsps of vinegar
- 4 Cups of water
- 1/2 Tsp of turmeric
- 1 Tblsp of fresh grated coconut
- 1 green Thai chile
- 1-2 Tbsps of plain yogurt
For Tempering
- 1 Tsp of oil
- 1 Tsp of mustard seeds
- 1 Tsp of Chana dal
- 1 Tsp of Urad dal
- 4-5 curry leaves
- 1 dried red chile

How it’s Done

- Cut the lotus root in 1/4 cm discs; stack 4-5 discs and quarter them. Put the cut pieces in the water and vinegar bath. Repeat till you have even sized, lattice like pieces.
- Drain the water and add to pressure cooker with 4 cups of water and the turmeric and a pinch of salt. Close the pressure cooker lid and cook on high till tue cooker starts making a loud whistling sound. Reduce heat and let cook for 8-10 minutes. Turn off the heat and wait till the cooker releases all the steam and it is safe to open the lid.
- While the roots are cooking, blend the coconut and chile into a smooth paste.
- Heat a non-stick pan and add the oil. Add the mustard seeds to the hot oil and once they start spluttering, add the other ingredients for tempering.
-When the dals are a golden brown, add the cooked and drained lotus roots. Add the coconut-chile paste and salt to taste and cook for a couple of minutes so the flavors meld.
- Add the yogurt and cook till all liquid evaporates.

This was part of my lunch with a tangy rasam and rice. The lotus roots were slightly crunchy with the  yogurt balancing the flavors of coconut and chile.

Ayurvedic Lentil Barley Vegetable Soup October 10, 2008

I attended an Ayurvedic Cookery Course a few months ago. The course is offered periodically by the Art of Living Foundation and you can read more about at www.artofliving.org. The course was not just about cooking and recipes. Rather I learned the principles of Ayurveda, the science of life, and how they can help me live a healthy life by being aware of the composition of different body types, of vegetables and food types that work for the various body types , the six tastes and of the environment etc. I know I have not even begun to scratch the surface in learning Ayurveda, but I woud recommend this course to you because I learned a lot and it made me very aware of how what I eat and my daily routine affects how I feel. For locals in the SF Bay Area, the next course starts on November 6th- you can click here to review and register. 

Anyway , since the course, I try to adopt as many of the principles as I can to my recipes. For example, I use turmeric and asafoetida in most dals I make. When I can, I soak the dals overnight so their sprouting process begins and enhances their nutrition. On a hot day, I use fennel seeds and coriander powder in my vegetable stir fry for their cooling qualities. This soup recipe incorporates some if the ayurvedic principles.

WHAT YOU NEED

- 1 Cup of Whole Masoor sal
- 1/2 a Cup of Rajma or kidney beans
- 1/2 a Cup of Pearl Barley
- 1 Carrot, diced
- 1 Cup of chopped green beans
- 1/2 a Tsp of turmeric
- 1 Tsp of coriander powder
- 1/2 a Tsp of asafoetida
- 1 1/2 Tsp of olive oil
- A 1/2 inch piece of Ginger
- salt to taste
- 4 Cups of water

HOW ITS DONE
1. Soak the Dal, rajma and barley with twice the water, overnight.
2. Heat the oil in a soup pot and add the spice powders. Then add the Ginger, minced.
3. Drain the dal, rajma and barley, and add it to the pot with the water. Let this cook for about 30 minutes, till they are almost done.
4. Add the diced carrots and salt to taste and cook foe another 10 minutes. The carrots should be almost done.
5. Finally, add the chopped beans and cook till they’re done. The vegetables should still be crunchy. Turn off the heat.

Served with fresh arugula or spinach on top, this soup is a hearty, filling , yet light one pot meal that energizes you!

Kerala Stew- Dosa Style September 23, 2008

A few weeks ago, we went to Dosa, located in the Mission district in San Francisco. Dosa is a south indian restaurant with a difference: the ambience is unlike any other Indian restaurant you’ve ever been to. The interiors are modern with red and pale yellow walls. When you enter the restaurant, you see a dancing- Shiva’s statue to the right, near the bar. As you turn your eyes towards the back of the restaurant the mellow lighting and the red and yellow walls greet you. The restaurant is always bustling and full of people. Its walk-in and reservations are allowed only for parties more than 5 people. The first time we went to Dosa, we had a 15 minute wait but we could put down our name and leave our mobile number and take a walk. The second time we went there was on a weekday and were promptly seated. Food on both occasions was great- authentic, with the exact amount of spices that I would expect if it were made at home (we south indians are very proud of our sambars!). 

While the name of the restaurant indicates it serves Dosa ( a crepe made with rice and lentil), the menu has an eclectic selection of dishes from most of south india- Andhra Pradesh is represented by Spicy Mung Masala, Kerala is represented by a soup, a chicken dish, while most other dishes are from Tamil Nadu, including a myriad of dosas, idli, vada etc. 

I ordered Kerala Cauliflower Soup and Adai on my second trip. I was expecting the Kerala-style Ishtew (a stew made with potatoes, and other vegetables simmered in a mildly spiced coconut milk broth) which is traditionally served with idiappam or thin rice-noodles. The soup was similar, but spicier. The cauliflower and bell peppers were perfectly cooked with a crunch to them and the coconut milk broth was spiced so you would feel a tad bit of heat from the chiles. My adai was rolled with a vegetable filling and served with three spicy chutneys (one of them I distinctly remember had habanero in it as the staff and the owner specifically warned me that it was spicy)- it was, but not so spicy that a toungue used to Indian flavors cannot handle it. My mother-in-law ordered the beet soup which was mildly spiced with cumin powder, served with a little bit of creme fraiche- a very simple recipe with the flavors blended beautifully. And, look how beautiful it looked!

Dosa is the best south indian restaurant I’ve eaten at in the US- its modern, welcoming ambience and its unique blend of authentic south indian dishes served with a modern twist set it apart from the other Indian restaurants. If you live in the Bay Area, check it out the next time you’re in the City. If you’re visiting Bay Area, make Dosa a dinner destination!

I loved the Kerala-style soup so much that I re-created it:

What you need

• 2 Cups chopped cauliflower florets
• 1 Cup frozen edamame
• 1 Cup carrot
• 1/2 an onion
• 1 1/2 Tsp of cooking oil
• 1 Tsp cumin powder
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• 1/2 Tsp turmeric
• 1-2 Green Thai chiles (or 1/2 a jalapeno pepper)
• 1/2 a can of coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp of chopped cilantro
• Salt to taste
• Water as needed

How its done

1. Chop the carrots into cubes  (I used frozen parisienne carrots- they’re small carrot rounds).
2. Dice the onion
3. Heat the oil in a sauce pan and add the onions. Saute till translucent.
4. While the onion is cooking, microwave the cauliflower and carrots with a little bit of water and salt to partially cook it (3 minutes).
5. When the onion is translucent, crush the ginger with a ginger press and add to the onions. Saute for a minute
6. Slit the green chiles and add to the mix and saute for a minute. Add the cumin and turmeric and mix.
7. Add the partially cooked cauliflower and carrots, the coconut milk and salt to taste and let the mixture come to a boil. Add water to thin, as you think necessary.
8. Add the frozen edamame at this point
9. Simmer for 5-7 minutes to allow the spices and vegetables to commingle.
10. Garnish with the chopped cilantro and serve!

I served the stew with a whole wheat cous-cous salad with sprouted mung and red cabbage. This made for a healthy and hearty lunch!

Kale Carrot Kootu September 8, 2008

 

If only carrot were spelt with a K, that would be such a nice alliteration! It has a nice ring to it too, don’t you think? I like trying out different types of greens that are available in my local farmers market, especially at this stand that has a lot of chinese greens. All greens are very nutritious and provide a lot of minerals and vitamins in very little calories. Because I love Indian flavors, many times, my first attempt at a recipe is to use a traditional recipe and see if the ingredient works. Most often than not, it DOES work. I think a lot of the South Indian recipes are so versatile that if you keep to the basics, any vegetable tastes great. On my last trip to the farmers market, I got a bunch of Kale. I’ve used Kale in soups and thought it would be a perfect candidate for Kootu. Here’s what I did..

What You Need

• 1 Bunch of Curly Kale
• 3-4 Carrots
• ½ Cup of Tuar dal
• ¼ Cup of Coconut flakes
• 1 Green chilly
• ½ Tsp of cumin powder
• Salt to taste
• Water as needed

For Tempering

• 1 Tsp of Oil
• 3-4 Curry leaves
• ½ Tsp of Turmeric
• ½ Tsp of Mustard
• ½ Tsp of Urad dal
• ½ Tsp of Chana dal

How Its Done

1. Pressure cook the tuar dal.

2. Chop the Kale so the leaves are evenly sized (Get rid of the tough stems). Dice the carrots.

3. I steamed the Kale and Carrot in the microwave rice cooker (separately), but if you choose, you can boil them (as is done traditionally) after the tempering in Step 4, with a little water. 

4. Heat oil and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter, add the Urad dal and chana dal and the curry leaves; Toss in the steamed carrots and kale, add turmeric, the green chilly cut in half, a bit of water and let the flavors meld for about 2-3 minutes. 

5. Add the cooked tuar dal, coconut flakes, cumin powder and salt to taste and cook for 5-7 minutes till it all comes to a boil. Simmer for a couple of minutes after it comes to a boil and then take it off the heat.

The dish is mildly spiced and pairs well with a tangy rasam or vetha kuzhambu (a dish made with tamarind and spices that is usually served with rice). The recipe takes less than 20 minutes to make. The above recipe will work well with zucchini and squash as well- try it!

Quinoa Dosa/ Crepe June 25, 2008

 

I love dosas! The only problem is it needs some planning-not only if you’re making the maavu (batter) yourself (which means planning at least a day ahead- soaking the rice and urad dal, grinding and then letting the batter ferment), but also when it involves a trip to the local desi store to get pre-made dosa maavu (dosa batter). Its no secret that Quinoa fascinates me- I’ve made quinoa paella and used quinoa in soups. Considering its nutty flavor and mother of all grain status, I wanted to see if I can make a more nutritious version of dosa using quinoa, that would also be easy and quick to make (i.e, no planning- because dinner every night is decided about 5-10 minutes before I start preparing for it!! )

What you need

• 1 Cup of quinoa
• 2 Cups of Water to soak
• Water to grind
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp Eno or baking powder (optional)
• Cooking oil 

 

How its done

1. Wash the quinoa and soak it in the water for about 15-20 minutes
2. Grind the quinoa with a little water. Make sure that the batter is not thin. It should be of spreadable consistency (like regular dosa batter or a crepe mix)
3. Add salt to taste, and if you want some fermenting action, add the Eno (available at the local desi store).
4. Let it stay for about 5 minutes while you heat up the tawa or griddle. (TIP: To get the best dosas, use a cast iron griddle or tawa- these are thick and pre-treated and hence non-stick; the thickness allows for even, consistent heat)
5. Now, to prepare the tawa for dosa or a crepe, spread some oil on it (or spray some oil with a spray bottle- much less oil than the traditional spoon method). When the tawa is hot (and this is counter-intuitive), use a cloth dipped in ice-cold water and wipe it. Now, the tawa is ready for your batter.
6. Take a ladleful of the batter and drop it in the center of the tawa, spreading it with a movement in concentric circles, till the batter is evenly spread and you have a thin crepe.
7. Spray cooking oil around the edges and in the center. Wait till the batter on the tawa changes color. Use a spatula and flip the crepe over. Cook the other side for about 2 minutes. Flip again- fold and serve. 

Quinoa dosas emit a wonderful, nutty aroma when they roast up. They come out golden brown and don’t brown too much..serve with your favorite coconut chutney or “gunpowder”!!

I just discovered the Pancake on Parade event being hosted by Susan of thewellseasonedcook (interestingly, she announced the event the day I originally posted this recipe for Quinoa Crepe. So, Susan, this is my contribution to your event!