Kiwi spinach smoothie.

The day I was waiting for finally arrived, and I had a copy of Go Set a Watchman in my hands. I would have liked to shut off the world and read, but life intruded as always. The kids needed to be fed, and I was in no mood to rustle up anything time consuming. A quick survey of the fridge yielded the ingredients to make this lovely green smoothie.

(Makes 3 glasses)

2 kiwi fruits

1 bunch spinach leaves

2 cups water

Method:

Wash the spinach leaves well, chop roughly. 

Peel the kiwi fruits, and cut into eighths. 

Blend the spinach and kiwi fruit with sufficient water till you get a really smooth consistency. 

Strain and serve (I did not strain because I didn't want to lose the fiber). 

Makhana Palak Curry

Makhana was an ingredient I associate with my childhood. We often had makhana curry when I was a child in Jharkhand, but the ingredient completely disappeared from my life soon after. It reappeared only after we shifted to our current house, and one of the things I am apprehensive about regarding our impending move to Hyderabad is that I might not get makhana any more.
I picked up a packet the other day, and impatient to use it, decided to make palak paneer with makhana instead of paneer. It was a huge hit, because both the kids loved squishing the fox nuts before chewing them. Definitely an ingredient I am going to use more of in the next few weeks.

1 cup makhana/ fox nuts

1 bunch spinach chopped fine

1 medium onion chopped
1 medium tomato chopped fine
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp rai
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder

Salt to taste
Cooking oil


Method:Heat oil and splutter mustard seeds. Once they stop spluttering, add onions, and saute till transparent.
Add ginger garlic paste, chopped tomatoes and the spices, and cook till mushy.
Meanwhile, blanch the spinach leaves for 2-3 minutes, and keep aside.

Add water and greens. Bring to boil, add salt, cover, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

While the gravy is simmering, dry roast the makhana till they start browning. Add to the gravy, mix well, and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot with rotis.

Tambdi Bhaji

Red amaranthus leaves have flooded the market this season, and after moving past the veggies for a couple of weeks, I finally gave in to temptation and bought a big bunch today. A quick search of available recipes gave me the idea for what I could make, and I sort of winged my way after that.
Really loved it, but with mustard oil and garlic, what is not to like?

1 big bunch red amaranth leaves
4 large garlic cloves
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup grated coconut
1 green chilli
1/2 tsp haldi powder
2 tbsp mustard oil
water as required
salt as per taste

Method:
Pluck the amaranth leaves with the tender stems, rinse well, chop finely and keep aside.
Chop the onion, garlic and green chilli.
Heat the oil, add chopped onions, garlic and green chillis and saute till onions become transparent.
Add ¼ tsp turmeric powder and stir.
Add the amaranth leaves, stir, add salt and mix well.
Cover with a lid and let the amaranth leaves cook on a low flame. Keep checking at regular intervals to see if the water has dried up- if it has, add some water, and cover again.
After the amaranth leaves are softened and cooked (about 10 minutes), add ⅓ cup grated coconut, stir well, cover, and simmer on a low flame for 2 minutes
Switch off the flame, and evaporate the water, if any is left.
Add salt to taste and mix well. Serve with rotis or with dal-rice

Patra/ aluvadi

ISomewhere along the course of my stay in the city, I discovered 'patra' and grew to love it. Even though it looked as if it was drenched in oil, I couldn't resist picking it up for lunch a couple of times a week.

It was only about a year back that I learnt how to make it, and it took me about a year after that to actually buy a bunch of colocasia leaves and make it. 

And now I wonder why I never attempted it before!

3-4 medium sized colocasia leaves

For the batter:

1 tsp ginger paste

1/2 tsp dhania powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp jeera powder

1 tbsp tamarind pulp

3/4 cup besan

2 tbsp jaggery

Salt to taste
Water as required

For tempering:
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp white sesame seeds
Grated coconut for garnish

Method:
Wash the colocasia leaves, pat dry and remove the stem. Turn over, and slice out the mid vein with a sharp knife, taking care to ensure the leaf itself remains intact.
Make a batter with the ingredients, add water only sparingly- the batter should be thick.
Cut each leaf along the midrib.
Spread batter on the first leaf, then place the next leaf so it points the other way, and spread batter on it. Continue till all the leaves are used up.
Press the vertical edges in, then start rolling tightly. Once completely rolled, tie it with some twine, and place on a greased steamer (I used an idli stand).
Steam for 20-25 minutes.
Remove the twine, and slice finely with a sharp knife.
Heat some of the oil, and lightly brown both sides of the patras.
Heat the rest of the oil, temper the mustard seeds, then add the sesame seeds. Pour over the patra.
Serve garnished with coriander and grated coconut.

Moong dal with amaranthus stalks

My mother is visiting, and since she loves Bengali food as much as I do, I picked up a huge bunch of red amaranthus/ lal shaag. It was only when I got back home, that I realised the stems were too thick to cut up and cook with the leaves. Reluctant to throw them away, I went to Google Uncle, who gave me an idea but no recipe- chopped amaranthus with moong dal. I made up the recipe, and quite like it.

1 cup whole moong dal
2 tbsp channa dal
A pinch of turmeric powder
1/2 cup amaranthus stems, chopped
6 pods garlic
1/2 tsp jeera
2 green chillis
2 tbsp curds
Cooking oil
Salt to taste
Mint or coriander leaves for garnish

Method:
Heat the oil, add jeera and let it splutter. Add garlic and the green chillis, and saute till browned.
Add chopped amaranthus stems, and saute for about a minute.
Wash the dals, and pressure cook with the fried masala, and turmeric till soft (20 minutes on low flame after the first whistle).
Remove from the fire, allow it to cool down, add curds, and heat till it reaches boiling temperature.
Garnish with mint and serve with rotis.
Wash and pressure cook the dals with the turmeric powder, till cooked.
Either serve with rotis, or eat it as a chilli.

Thotakura Ava Pulusu- Amaranthus Stew from Andhra Pradesh

My love affair with Amaranthus started rather serendipitously. I've been seeing these greens in the market for years, but never thought to buy it. Then a couple of months back, I met a friend buying it at the vegetable vendor, and got the recipe from her. I made it, liked it, and mentally filed it with the other recipes that I could make "occasionally". Soon after, I asked my mother for my grandmother's keerai mashiyal recipe, and surprise, surprise, it had the same leaves too! When I bought a big bunch and used half to make alloo-saag Assamese style, I knew I had to experiment with a new cuisine with the other half. This Andhra dish is completely different from the other three, and I am quite in love with Amaranthus.
Guess the experiment also proves that if you go with an open mind, there are gems to be discovered in every part of India.

2 1/2 cups finely chopped Amaranthus leaves
1 big onion finely chopped
4 green chillis slit length wise
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
small lemon sized tamarind (soak in a cup of warm water and extract)
1-2 tsps jaggery or sugar
1 tsp rice flour
3/4 tsp mustard seeds + 1 red chili, ground to a coarse pwd
salt to taste

For tempering:
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp methi seeds
1 tsp split black gram dal (optional)
1-2 dry red chillis (tear into pieces)
5 garlic flakes crushed or large pinch asafoetida
10-12 curry leaves

Method:
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add mustard seeds, let them pop, add the cumin seeds, methi seeds and let them turn slightly red. Add split gram dal and let it turn red. Add garlic, red chillis, curry leaves, chopped onions and green chillis and sauté till onions turn slightly pink (approx 3-4 mts).
Add the chopped leaves and stir fry for 4 mts. Add the turmeric pwd and salt and mix. Cover with lid and cook till the greens cook (approx 7-8 mts).
Add the tamarind extract and jaggery and mix well. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and cook for another 9-10 mts or till the rawness of tamarind disappears. Sprinkle the rice flour and mix and you will find that the gravy thickens. Cook for a minute, add mustard pwd and mix. Turn off heat.
Tastes best with dosas.

Amaranthus- Aloo with Mustard and Posto

As a child, I have eaten more than my fair share of Amaranthus. Both my grandmothers made Keerai Mashiyal a few times a week, and that's what I had whenever we visited them during the summer vacations. Once I got married and moved out, the leaf too moved out of my life. A change encounter with the green when I was with a friend got me to try it out, and I rather liked the chauli-baigan subji she gave me the recipe of.
Which is why, when I saw the recipe for Morisa Xaakor Tharir /Daatha’r Sorsori, an Assamese dish, I knew I wanted to try it out. The only problem is that the bunch I picked up didn't have enough stems, so I decided to substitute it with the leaves itself. And it tasted divine with steamed rice.
If this is any indication, I think I am going to love Assamese cuisine.

1 bunch amaranthus/ chauli leaves 1 tbsp Mustard Paste (made by grinding pre-soaked mustard seeds with green chilli, garlic and ginger)
1 tbsp khus khus soaked for about 15 minutes
4-5 baby potatoes
2 tbsp Mustard Oil
Turmeric - 1 tsp
3 Green Chillies 
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Paste of 1 Onion


Method:
Heat mustard oil in a pan and then fry the potatoes for about 4 minutes. Add the Amaranth and fry for an additional 3 minutes. Keep aside
In the same oil fry the onion paste and ginger-garlic paste with turmeric and once the raw flavor is gone add the mustard paste and poppy seeds paste. Fry for 2-3 minutes
Add the potatoes and greens, turmeric, chillies, water and salt
Allow the gravy to boil and once it reaches the boiling temperature, simmer and cook till the potatoes are cooked.
Serve hot with steamed rice. Tastes even better the next day.

Patti's Keerai Mashiyal

Nostalgia comes in many forms. One of them takes the form of dreaming about some of the stuff that used to be served at my grandmother's place. All of us sitting around the dining table. Rice piled on the plates in front of us. A big dollop of ghee being dropped on top of the rice - my uncle asking for his to be on the side, so he could lick it- and the food. Parupu and keerai made an appearance very often, and I can't think of those times without the taste lingering on my tongue.
I got this recipe from my mother, even though I don't remember her ever making it for me, and it tasted every bit as good as it I remember it to be.

1 bunch chawli/ amaranth leaves

1/2 tsp jeera

Salt to taste

1 tsp rice flour

For tempering

Oil

1/2 tsp urad dal

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 red chilli

1 sprig curry leaves

A pinch of hing

Method

Wash and finely chop the amaranth leaves.

Cook covered with very little water, salt and jeera, will well done. Mash well with the back of a spoon

Dissolve rice flour in water, add to the cooked greens, and cook a little more.

Temper oil with urad dal, mustard seeds, hing, red chilli and curry leaves, pour over the greens and mix well.

Serve with rice.

Chauli- baigan ki subji

Though I have often seen this green sitting side by side with the palaks and methis, I've never thought to try it out. Maybe it was because I didn't have a recipe, or maybe it was because I am not particularly adventurous when it comes to greens. But this remained one of the few greens I haven't ever gone near. Until the other day when I was at the vegetable vendor with a friend, and asked her how she cooked it. "With baigan", was her reply. Immediately intrigued, I forced the recipe out of her in bits and pieces, and made it a couple of days later. I loved it, and the kids tolerated it, which is saying quite a lot!

1 bunch chauli leaves, destemmed, washed and chopped 250 gms small brinjals, cut into eighths 4-5 pods of garlic 1 green chilli 1 tsp jeera 1/2 tsp haldi powder Mustard oil Salt and sugar to taste Method Heat the oil, and splutter the jeera seeds. Add chopped garlic and the green chilli and fry till the garlic browns. Add the brinjals, and fry till partially cooked Add the greens, salt, sugar and turmeric powder, and mix well. Cover the pan, and let it cook in its own steam till done

Shepu Subji

I got this recipe from my mother, who recently learnt it from a friend, and thought I would like it. She was wrong- I loved it, and I can't wait till I try it out again.

Ingredients:

1 bunch dil chopped fine

1 bunch palak chopped fine

1 medium onion chopped 

4 cloves chopped

1 or 2 green chilliesslit lengthwise

oil 

1tsp zeera

hing

haldi pd

1/4 cup mung da soaked for 1/2 hr

1/4 cup groundnuts soaked for 1/2 hr

grated coconut optional

salt

 

Method:

Heat oil in a pressure pan.Add zeera,garlic,onion,chillies

fry a bit

Add hing and haldi

Drain water and add gnuts and dal

Add salt and greens

Add water and coconut

Mix well

Cover and cook for 1 whistle

Lower flame and cook 3 mins

 

 

 

Mooli Bhujiya

Sometime in the '80s, seduced by the advertising might of the manufacturers of sunflower oil, my mother banished all the "unhealthy" oils from her kitchen. The only oils I ever really cooked with were the so called "heart friendly" ones, and though they got the job done, I realised what I was actually missing only after I bought my first bottle of mustard oil a couple of months back. North Indian subjis have taken on a whole new flavour now, and I am loving it.

Which is why, when I saw this recipe for Mooli Bhujiya, I knew I had to try it out immediately. And I loved it- the family less so, but I'll teach them to appreciate it soon enough.

Radish (Mooli) with leaves intact- 2

Green Chilies - 1
Mustard Oil - 1 tbsp
Carom seeds (Ajwain) - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida-1/4 tsp
Turmeric-1/2 tsp
Salt-1 tsp
Chili powder-1 tsp
Mango powder-1 tsp
Coriander powder-1 tsp 

Method
Wash the radish and the leaves. Chop the leaves into small pieces, and the root into discs.

Heat mustard oil in a pan and add carom seeds, as soon as it start crackling add asafoetida and chopped green chilies.stir for few seconds (don't overcook ajwain /carom seeds else it will taste bitter)
Now add the chopped vegetables, mix and saute for a minute.
Add salt and all the spices, mix well. Cover the vegetables and let it cook in its own steam till done.

Serve hot with chapati.

Masoor dal with cauliflower leaves- the Ayurveda way

Everytime I buy a cauliflower, I end up paying for a whole lot of leaves that I never use. What if the leaves could be cooked separately, I asked myself, and decided to experiment. As luck would have it, I found this nice recipe for an Ayurvedic soup, which I adapted to make this dal.
The jury is out on whether we liked it or not.

 

1 cup red masoor dal

Leaves of 1 cauliflower, chopped fine

Haldi powder

1 inch piece of ginger

1 tbsp ghee

1/2 tsp coriander powder

Salt to taste

 

For the tempering 

1/2 tsp of Whole Cumin/Whole Jeera
1/2 tsp of Whole Fennel/Whole Saunf,
6-7 whole Fenugreek seeds/Whole Methi seeds
and a pinch of asafoetida/Hing.

 

Method

Pressure cook the dal with cabbage leaves, haldi and sufficient water, till well cooked. 

Heat the ghee, and temper the ingredients listed under "for the tempering". Pour the tempering over the cooked dal.
Grate the ginger, and add to the dal along with the coriander powder, and salt to taste. Add about 2 cups of water, and let the dal come to a boil.

Adjust for seasonings, and squeeze juice of a lime quarter.

Serve with rice/ rotis, or drink it as a soup.

Posto and lal saag

This dish, like many others, has a story. When we were in Calcutta, we would often find this (very imaginatively named) "laal saag" in the market. My mother's Tam Bram sensibilities couldn't make head or tail of it, but since greens (even if they were red in colour) were hard to come by in Calcutta, she was reluctant to let these leaves pass. So she asked around, and got this recipe from one of her colleagues, and started making it.
At that time, I didn't even know something called khas khas/ posto existed, much less know what it tasted like, but many years later, that thing called Nostalgia crawled out of the recesses of my mind, and made me pick up some khus khus during a trip to Delhi. I then asked my mother for recipes other than that of aloo-posto, and got this one.
Love it, because it combines two of my favourites- khus khus and peanuts!

1 bunch lal saag, destemmed and chopped fine

2 green chillis

2-3 pods garlic

2 tbsp roasted peanuts

2 tbsp khus khus

1/2 tsp kala jeera

1/2 tsp haldi powder

salt and sugar to taste

cooking oil

Method

Season the oil with kala jeera, green chilli, garlic and haldi powder. 

Once the jeera starts spluttering, add finely chopped lal saag, salt and sugar (be careful with the salt).

Cover and cook, without adding additional water.

When it is nearly done, sprinkle the khus khus, mix well, and cook till nearly dry.

Garnish with roasted peanuts (optional)

Sarson ka saag

Sarson ka saag. The name alone is enough to send me into ruptures. I was introduced to the dish only after marriage, and the first time I had it, I wondered what all the hype was about. But after you have tasted it in assorted dhabbas in and around Delhi a couple of times, it is nearly impossible to remain indifferent to it.
The last time I had it was on a biting cold winter afternoon in a five start dhabba on the Chandigarh- Delhi Highway. Just thinking about it, whisks me back to cold noses, and layers of warm clothing. Bliss.
So, when I saw my subjiwalla selling something that he called sarson ka saag, I immediately picked it up. Only after getting home did I look for recipes, and go in search of the palak saag and the mooli saag that I needed to complete the dish.
Overall, quite a satisfying experience!

1 bunch mustard leaves/sarson
½ bunch spinach leaves/palak
1 cup chopped tender radish leaves/mooli ke patte
2-3 inches radish/mooli
1 cup fenugreek/methi leaves, chopped (I skipped it)
2 medium sized onions, chopped
3 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
2 inch ginger, chopped
2 green chilies, chopped
7-8 garlic, chopped
½ tsp red chili powder
a generous pinch or two of asafoetida or ¼ tsp asafoetida powder
2 to 3 cups water
2 tbsp maize flour
salt as required

for the tempering for 3 servings:
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 to 2 tbsp oil
3 bowls of cooked saag

Instructions
Clean and chop all the greens, then wash them thoroughly. In a pressure cooker take all the ingredients listed under saag except for maize flour, and cook for about 10 minutes.
Pour the cooked greens along with the stock and maize flour in a blender, and blend till smooth.
In another pan, pour the pureed greens, and simmer for about half an hour.
Heat oil or ghee in a kadhai, add the chopped onions and fry them till light brown.
Add to the prepared saag, stir and simmer for a couple of minutes, stirring ocaasionally.
Serve sarson ka saag hot with a dollop of butter, with makki di roti

Sevai with green chutney

I've always  loved tengai sevai, and picked up a large packet of rice vermicelli when I saw it at the store. After eating to my heart's content, I decided to try something new, and experimented a bit to come up with this sevai in green chutney, which I quite liked.

1/2 cup rice vermicelli cooked according to instructions and drained
1/2 bunch coriander leaves, washed and destemmed

1/2 tsp lime juice 

1 tbsp walnuts chopped

Ghee for frying
Salt to taste

For tempering
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves
Red chilli, as desired
1/2 tsp urad dal

Method:

Grind the coriander leaves, and add lime juice, salt and water to make a light paste.

Pour the green paste over the rice vermicelli, and mix well

Heat the ghee, temper and pour the tempering over the vermicelli

Adjust for salt, if required, and serve garnished with walnuts.
Serve garnished with cashewnuts.

Alphabet Soup

This was a particular favourite of mine when I was a kid, and long after I had grown up and moved out, my mother always made it for me at least once when I visited. I think it is based on a Gujarathi dal, but my mother called it "alphabet soup" because that was something Dennis the Menace would have (and anything he did, I had to do too), and the name's stuck.

Luckily, the kids have inherited my love for this dish, so I can indulge without feeling too guilty.


3/4 cup tur dal
1/2 tsp haldi powder

1/2 tsp methi seeds
1 tsp chilli powder
Pressure cook together till soft.

Add salt (little less than normal), 3 small tomatos chopped, lots of dhania patta (I add an entire bunch- destemed), 1 tsp amchur powder, 1 tst jeera powder, and water, and boil for 5 minutes. Ensure that the dal is very watery, because it will thicken a lot later.

While the dal is cooking, make dough with atta, salt, jeera powder and 1 cup chopped methi leaves. Roll into rotis (about as thick as a naan), and cut into diamond shaped pieces.
Drop the roti pieces into the dal, and cook for 15 minutes.

Temper with with red chilli and jeera, cover and let the tastes soak in for about 5 minutes.

Garnish with fried onion slices and butter, and serve.