Recipes

Protein-rich Indian comfort food made with rice, moong dal, ghee and spices

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

1/2 cup rice

1/2 cup yellow moong dal

2 tbs ghee

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic grated

1 inch stick cinnamon

2 cloves

1/2 tsp caraway seeds

3 cups water

1/4 tsp (heaping) turmeric

3 pinches asafoetida (hing)

salt to taste

Combine rice and moong dal in a bowl and rinse a few times. Add water and soak for 2-3 hours (optional step - this removes the phytic acid, which prevents your body from fully absorbing the nutrients in rice & dal).

In separate pot or kettle, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Turn instant pot to saute mode. Once hot, add ghee and let it melt, then add cinnamon stick, cloves, and caraway seeds. Saute until aromatic for about 30-40 seconds. Add chopped onion and saute for 2 minutes, then add garlic and saute another 2 minutes. Drain water from rice & dal, then add to instant pot. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the hot water and mix. Add turmeric, asofoetida, salt and mix well until salt dissolves completely. Taste the water to adjust salt per your taste (saltiness of the water = saltiness of the dish). Close instant pot and set on manual for 12 minutes, then low for 10 minutes with the pressure guage on sealing. Turn off and allow the pressure to naturally release. Top with a spoon of melted ghee when serving. Options for accompaniments include roasted papadam, tomato soup, or any south asian pickle.

Variations:

• Simplify by adding hot water to rice dal, then turmeric, hing, salt and cook in instant pot per steps above
• Add your favorities chopped veggies (e.g., peas, chopped carrots, cauliflower florets, green beans, etc.)
• Substitute oil for ghee to make vegan

Melt in your mouth dome of spiced caulifower goodness

Ingredients:

1 medium head of cauliflower (gobi), leaves removed and stem cut so the cauliflower can sit on its base

For blanching the cauliflower:

Water to cover about 3/4 of the caulifower
Salt 1.4 tsp (water should be a little salty to taste since it will flavor the body of the cauliflower)
1 inch Cinnamon stick
3 Cardamom pods
4 Cloves
1 Black cardamom
½ tsp Turmeric powder
2-3 tsp Deggi red chilli powder (or any red chilli powder)
1 tbsp Ghee

For green filling:
½ cup Coriander Chutney OR Coriander/Mint Chutney
3.5 tbsp chickpea flour

For coating the head of the cauliflower:
¼ cup ghee
1 cup Greek yogurt
3-4 tsp Garam masala (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Deggi red chilli powder (optional to add heat & color)
1 tbsp Chick pea flour
¼ tsp Asafoetida
Salt to taste ( salt should be little more as Gobi will be seasoned with this salt)
1-2 inch Cinnamon sticks
1-2 Green Cardamom Pods
1-2 Cloves
3 tbsp Cashew paste (blend some cashew with little water to make a thick paste)

Method:
Preheat over to oven to 390 F

With a small knife, make some shallow cuts in the stem making sure it doesn’t break. In a large sauce pot, add water along with salt, ghee and all spices (listed above). Mix well and bring to a boil. Add cauliflower head, cover and boil for 5 minutes. Then carefully flip the cauliflower and boil for 5 minutes. (Steam till 60% cooked. Be careful not to overcook the cauliflower). Remove cauliflower onto a parchment lined baking tray and keep aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, add green chutney, chick pea flour and mix well so the micture gets thickened. Turn the cauliflower stem side up and stuff the prepared chutney into the gaps of cauliflower. Flip the cauliflower back to stem side down.

In a mixing bowl, add greek yogurt, salt, all spices turmeric powder, garam masala, deggi red chilli powder, asafoetida, salt to taste, chick pea flour and mix well. Adjust salt and spices to taste.

In a non-stick pan, heat ghee on med/hi heat, then add cinnamon stick, green cardamom pods, cloves. Mix well and allow spices to bloom (40-60 seconds; you should see bubbles around the spices). Turn the heat down to med/low. Add the yogurt mixture & cashew paste into the pan and mix well. Let the mixture cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat then remove the whole spices (cinnamon stick, green cardamom pods, cloves). Use a spatula to coat the head of the cauliflower (top to bottom) with the mixture.

Bake in over for 20 minutes. Cut into steaks or wedges to serve. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Popular Indian street food made with crispy flat puris and topped with chopped veggies and chutneys

Ingredients:

flat puri

potato, cubed

tomato, diced

cilantro finely chopped

plain yogurt

coriander/mint chutney (we love Mother's Recipes dhaniya/pudhina chutney)

tamarind date chutney

thin sev

Whip yogurt in a bowl and add just enough water to make it run off a spoon. Do the same for the coriander/mint chutney. Lay flat puri on a flat plate or platter. Top with potato, tomato & onions. Drizzle with yogurt and chutneys. Top with thin sev. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!

Fresh cucumbers seasoned with spices

cucumbers chopped in rounds or sticks and include spices to taste such as salt with chili powder, chaat masala, and/or asafoetida (hing).