Mustard microgreens

I was introduced to Microgreens almost by accident, but from the moment I heard about them I have been quite fascinated. To someone who loves sprouts, microgreens was the logical next step, and I was doubly sold when I came to know they pack upto 4-6 times the nutritional punch of the adult vegetable.

But all things happen only when the time is right, and growing microgreens was no exception. Last week, I lined a takeaway container with wads of tissue paper, sprinkled mustard seeds, watered, covered with cling film, and kept it on on sunny window sill. I watched the seeds germinate, and push out the first leaves. A week later, I was ready to harvest. Don't they look gorgeous?

The best part was biting into one. The flavours poured into my mouth. Who needs kasaundi when you have microgreens?

Sprouted moong dhokala

Sprouted moong is a perennial favourite of mine. When I was young, I would consume enormous quantities of it, and I still can. But with age, the tongue gets more demanding, and I need to sprinkle salt on it now. I also love experimenting with dishes that have it as a primary ingredient, and this dhokla was particularly good. 

1 cup sprouted moong

1/2 cups spinach

1/4 cups grated carrot

1 tsp ginger- green chilli paste

2 tbsp besan

A pinch of hing

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp haldi powder

1 packet Eno fruit salt

For tempering:

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp urad dal

1 tsp mustard seed

1 tsp sesame seeds

Method:

Grind the moong sprouts, spinach and carrot till you get an even but slightly coarse consistency 

Mix in the ginger green chilli paste, salt, hing, besan, haldi powder. 

Grease a flat plate and keep aside

Add Eno fruit salt to the mixture, and while the fizzing is still taking place, spread the mixture on the plate

Steam in a pressure cooker with the whistle removed for 12 minutes. 

Cut after allowing to cool

Heat the oil, add mustard seeds, and after it stops spluttering, add urad dal and sesame seeds. Pour over the dhokla, garnish with grated carrot and serve. 

Cabbage bake

My mother used to make this dish quite often during the winters, but given hoe easy it is, I don't make it as often as I could. But when I do make it, I spread it over a few days, because it tastes much nicer after one day.

1 cup cabbage, chopped fine

2 cup onion, cut lengthwise

1 cup besan

Salt to taste

1 tsp red chill powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

2 tsp oil

For tempering:

2 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

Method:

Mix the cabbage and onions well. Sprinkle the besan, salt, chilli powder and haram masala, mix well, adding water if necessary, so the whole thing sticks together. 

Heat the oil, splutter the mustard seeds, and pour over a baking dish. Spread the oil across the surface, sprinkle sesame seeds. 

Pour the batter over the tempering, and bake at 250 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Allow it to cool before serving. 

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.

Cucumber dal

This is a dal that my mother learnt from her friends in Bangalore. Native to the region, I love it, because it has so many tastes that I love- raw garlic, raw ground mustard, coconut and tamarind. The cucumber makes it a more balanced dish too.

1 measure tur dal (or channa dal), cooked with haldi powder

1 cucumber cut into pieces and steamed

Salt to taste

For ground masala

2 tsp mustard/rai

2 tbsp grated coconut

1 marble sized ball tamarind

2-3 pods garlic

2 red chillies

Grind the ingredients listed under "ground masala" with a little bit of water, till you get a smooth paste.
Add to the cooked dal, add the steamed cucumber pieces and salt to taste, and bring to boil.
Serve with rice or roti.