Mixed Vegetables Dal

Two weeks back my daughter had to come home in the middle of the week for an interview for a summer class. I asked her what she would like to dinner and she said comfort food - dal and rice. I made her this Mixed Vegetable Dal with rice. She was very happy. It is so easy to please college kids.

My family is loves vegetables so I used a lot of them. You can any combination of vegetables. We like it when they hold their shape so I used zucchini, carrots and beans. If you like it you can use eggplant.

You will need
1 cup toor dal or split pigeon peas
Mixed vegetables of your choice. I used
1 zucchini, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 handful bean, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 tomato, pureed
1 tbsp garam masala (I use rasam masala)
salt to taste

Tempering
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 dried red chilli

1 tbsp oil (I use olive oil)

Wash and rinse the dal. Cook in a pressure cooker. I heat the pressure cooker and let it steam. I then add the whistle and pressure cook for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let the pressure subside. Keep aside.

Add all the vegetables to a pan along with the pureed tomato and bring to a boil. Let the vegetables cook for a couple of minutes.

Next add the cooked dal and bring it to a boil. Add water if the consistency is too thick. At this stage consistency should be runny. Let it simmer on medium heat for a good 3-5 minutes.

During the last couple of minutes heat oil in a separate pan. Add the mustard seeds. When they sizzle add the other ingredients and turn off the heat.

Add the tempered oil to the dal and let it simmer for a couple more minutes.

The dal is ready. Serve with rice or poli.

Enjoy!

Black Bean and Mixed Vegetable Salad

Today I am posting a delicious Black Bean and Mixed Vegetable Salad. This salad is a complete nutritious meal. Mixed vegetables are a favorite in my family so I usually add a whole different array of vegetables to a lot of my everyday meal. This salad is perfect for weekend lazy brunches. As it is eaten cold it works great for lunch boxes too.

For this salad I cut the vegetables using my Veggie Bullet. But if you do not have a vegetable shredder you could take a little time over the weekend and prep vegetables. Stock up the prepped chopped vegetables separately in glass airtight containers. When needed pull pull the required amount from each of the containers for a salad or other dishes. This is what I do every weekend.

You will need
1 cup dry black beans or 1 can black beans
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 head broccoli, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
1 big handful baby kale, sliced
1 zucchini, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1/2 lime

If using dry beans, soak them overnight and pressure cook them the next day. Drain and use in the salad. If using canned beans rinse and drain before using them in the salad. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Let it rest for about 5 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

Chole Chaat

I cook with Garbanzo beans very often. I use it in all kinds of sides and salads as it has a high protein content. But my husband and I like it best in salads. Today I am posting a recipe for Chole Chaat. Mix the cooked garbanzo beans with a little onion, tomato and basic spices and you have a tangy delicious protein rich snack.

Two months back I was in the mood for chaat. I made several recipes over a couple of weeks and will post them one by one. We don't like food too spicy and I use chili peppers sparingly. If you like the chaat mild then this is the recipe for you.

You will neede
1 cup dry garbanzo beans
1/2 onion
1 tomato
1 tsp shredded ginger
1 tsp chaat masala
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt and pepper to taste

Soak the beans overnight. The next day pressure cook the beans until cooked. I let the pressure built up in the cooker, place the whistle and let it cook for 10 minutes on medium high heat. Then turn off the heat and let it cool and release the pressure. Let the beans cool.

Meanwhile dice the onion and tomato. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

Enjoy!

Cannelloni Beans and Mixed Vegetable Quesadilla

Quesadillas are corn or flour tortillas folded in half with bean and other ingredients. While authentic quesadilla call for certain combinations of filling you could use the method of preparation and go crazy with the filling of your choice. This is what I used to do as quesadillas were a favorite packed lunch in our house. I used to try different combinations and had a few favorites. I do not make them as frequently now but once in a while I like to experiment. This recipe was well received as everyone in the family loves vegetables. Introducing vegetables as a snack at an early age may have had something to do with it. In fact, I try not to add too many flavor modifiers to my recipes so we can enjoy the taste of fresh vegetables.

Some time back I got a Veggie Bullet, the quick and easy way to prep your food. The vegetables for this Cannelloni Bean and Mixed Vegetable Quesadilla were processed using this gadget. I shredded the vegetables so that they can be added to the quesadilla without leaving any lumps.

You will need
1 can Canelloni beans or 1 cup beans soaked overnight and pressure cooked
1 carrot
1/2 head broccoli
1/4 onion
4 flour tortilla (I use my everyday poli)
1/4 cup feta cheese crumpled
salt and pepper to taste (remember feta cheese has a lot of salt)
1 tbsp. olive oil

Prep the beans. If using canned beans rinse and drain, keep aside. If using dry beans soak overnight and pressure cook until just tender. Shred the vegetables using your choice of shredder.

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the vegetables and saute for a few minutes. Since I made this recipe I have switched to sauteing vegetables in a little water. They retain their flavor and freshness better.

Add the cooked beans and mash them with a potato masher. You do not want a paste, just enough to blend it all together.

Add the feta cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

Let the mixture cool. In the meantime prepare the tortilla. When you are ready to put it all together. Heat a tortilla on a pan.

Add the filling to half the tortilla and fold it over.

Heat it thoroughly on both sides without letting it burn.

The quesadilla are ready.

Enjoy!

Red Bell Pepper and Paneer in Tomato gravy

The recipe I am posting today is something I whipped up in a hurry on a weekend morning. My husband and I were at home. I was prepping the weekly vegetables and getting them ready for lunch salads when I realized I did not have anything planned for lunch. I put aside some red bell pepper and some green bell pepper combined it with some left over paneer, onion and tomato and whipped up this side. It is a version of Paneer Jalfrezi and I am calling it Red Bell Pepper and Paneer in Tomato gravy.

In the picture above the flatbread or poli has been made by my husband. I have posted his recipe of chutney on this blog but never posted anything else made by him. He is always willing to try anything I make and waits patiently while I take pictures. Both of us liked this recipe very much and it was all gone very quickly.

My daughter will be back from college for summer in three days. I am looking forward to spending time with her and making a lot of new dishes.

You will need
4 oz. paneer, cut into rectangular pieces, not too thick
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 tomato, pureed
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 serrano pepper, deseeded and minced
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp. coriander cumin powder
Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle add the onion. Saute for about 5 minutes and add the minced serrano pepper.

Now add the tomato puree, turmeric powder, coriander cumin powder and bring to a boil.

Now add the bell peppers.

Finally add the paneer and salt to taste.

Let it all cook until the liquid evaporates.

Enjoy!

Skewered Spicy Pepper with Paneer

A few months back I went to visit my father. While there we experimented with skewered vegetables and paneer in his air fryer. It struck me that I had not made this at home in a long time. Once I got home I made some for the whole family.

My daughter is in college now and food is always a problem there. I thought this would be something she could make for herself in her apartment.

We love colored bell pepper so that is the main vegetable I used. Some red onion and paneer. Served on skewers with its own bowl of chutney makes a great appetizer for a party. It can be a side during dinner or a light dinner by itself.

You will need
wooden or metal skewers
8 oz paneer cut into thick cubes (fresh made or store bought)
1 red bell pepper, cut in large cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into large cubes
1/2 onion, cut into large cubes
1/2 cup yogurt
salt to taste

For the spice mixture
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper corns
1/2 stick cinnamon
2 pods cardamom shelled
1-2 dried red chili pepper

Green Chutney

Roast all the spices on medium heat for a about 3-5 minutes or until you can smell the spicy fragrance. Turn off heat and let the spices cool. Dry grind in a coffee grinder to a powder.

Add the yogurt and mix it all together with salt to taste.

Put all the chopped vegetables in a bowl.

Mix in the yogurt and leave aside covered for about 15-30 minutes, longer if desired.

The yogurt will be absorbed by the vegetables and paneer.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. If using wooden skewers in a pan of water soak the skewers for about 10 minutes so they don't burn in the oven. Load the paneer and vegetables on the skewers and place on a baking tray.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes. Broil for the last couple minutes.

Enjoy!

Red Pepper Hummus

We love the flavor red bell pepper brings to any food it is added to. I am always trying to find, create and make recipes with this vegetable. The family loves it. A couple years back we went to Disney World. We had dinner at a restaurant called Sanaa in the Animal Kingdom Lodge. There we ordered a platter of flatbread and were served red pepper hummus as one of the dips. We fell in love with the hummus and I wanted to recreate it at home.

I roasted the bell pepper and used it in my recipe for hummus. The result was tasty, fresh hummus. If you like red bell peppers and you like hummus then try this combo.

You will need
1 red bell pepper (small to medium)
1 cup garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. lime juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. paprika
salt to taste

Soak the bean overnight in water. Pressure cook the next day for 10 minutes. When depressurized remove the beans and let them cool. 

Wash and dry the red bell pepper. Stick a fork into it and place directly over the flame of your stove. Keep rotating the pepper as it is charred. When it turns black on all sides wrap in an aluminium foil and keep aside for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile roast the sesame seeds, cool and grind to a powder. Peel the garlic pods and roughly chop them. 

In a food processor combine the cooked beans, garlic, lime juice, sesame seeds and olive oil. Remove the pepper from the foil and rub gently to peel off the skin. Cut it open and remove the seeds. Chop coarsely and add it to the food processor. Grind to a fine paste. 

Roast the cumin seeds and pound to a powder. Mix in the cumin powder, paprika and salt to taste.

Enjoy!

Prickly Pear Fruit Dip/Sauce

Did you know cactus fruit are sweet and flavorful? Have you ever tried them? We lived in Arizona for a very long time. We had Prickly pear and Saguaro growing in the garden. Every year we watched the local animals and birds fight over the fruit. It was hard to get some for us before the birds got to them. After we moved to Texas all we see are the small 5 inch tall cactus growing in little pots. I remember the first time I saw the little cacti at the nursery and almost cried. Imagine my surprise when I saw prickly pear fruit in the local 99 ranch market. I had to get it and make this sauce/dip.

The process is really the same as with any other fruit sauce or dip. You heat the fruit with a little sugar and strain. The aroma takes getting used to but the flavor is awesome.

You will need
3 ripe prickly pear fruit (pinkish in color, not green)
1 tbsp. sugar (or as needed, increase or decrease as per taste)

Peel the rough skin off the fruit and dice into cubes. Boil 3/4 cup of water in pan. Add the fruit and the sugar. Lower the heat and let it simmer until the fruit is cooked and can be mashed. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes.

Using a fine wire strainer, strain the sauce to remove the seeds and hard pulp. Discard the seeds and pulp. The sauce/dip is ready. Serve with fresh cut fruit like apples.

Enjoy with some fresh fruit!

Zucchini No Noodle Lasagna in Tomato Sauce

I love the zucchini ribbon noodles that the Veggie bullet makes. But it makes a LOT! I made ribbons with two zucchini and realized I needed only one for my single serving lasagna. So I decided to make a second lasagna this time with a tomato-onion sauce. This was one of the tastiest pasta I have made.

Even though I added a sauce to this lasagna I made certain the sauce was dry enough to not soak the zucchini. This kept the zucchini from getting mushy. The shredded broccoli added more flavor. My husband loved it.

You will need
1 zucchini
1/2 cup broccoli, shredded
2 slices mozzarella
salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce
1/4 onion, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 tsp. dried or fresh basil (if using fresh, dice)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp or to taste paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp oil (I used olive oil)

In a pan heat the oil and add the diced onion. When cooked and tender (~ 3-4 minutes) add the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Cook until all the juice is absorbed. Turn off heat and keep aside until needed.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Using a sharp knife or a veggie bullet cut the zucchini into ribbons. Add some salt and let the ribbons sit for 10-15 minutes. Using a towel soak the water. Spread the ribbons on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes flipping once.

Now you are ready to assemble. First place the zucchini in the bottom of the pan. I used a smal single springform pan. If you do not use a non stick pan add some oil/butter to the bottom to keep the zucchini from sticking.

Add half the tomato onion sauce.

Now add the shredded broccoli and a slice of cheese.

Repeat the layers ending with the second slice of cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Broil for a couple of minutes to brown the cheese.

Enjoy!

This is my entry for week one, day three of BM #81 for the theme Lasagna. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#81.

Potato Cannelloni Beans No Noodle Lasagna

My plan was to try butternut squash noodles in my new kitchen toy the Veggie Bullet. My husband went to buy it while I prepped. But he could not find it in the grocery store. And so I had to improvise and use potato instead. The lasagna was very filling as it had broccoli and beans. As with the recipe posted yesterday, I made this lasagna in a single serving springform pan.

I built the recipe based on what I had on hand, the flavors we like and the need for some protein. You can make lasagna with pretty much anything you have on hand. In order to not get the vegetables mushy, I did not use a sauce. The cheese served as the binding agent along with the mashed beans. I let the potatoes bake with the lasagna but my husband said I should have baked them separately before layering them in the lasagna so the next time I use potatoes I will cook them partially in the oven.

You will need (single serving)
1 potato, very thinly sliced
4-5 florets broccoli
1 cup Cannelloni beans (I used canned beans)
2 slices Mozzarella cheese
1/4 onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp olive oil

Add a little salt to the potato slices and keep aside. Meanwhile Add the oil to a pan and heat it. Add the onion and let it cook and brown on low heat. Transfer the onion to a plate and place the pan back on the heat. Next add the beans to the pan. When heated through, mash with a masher. Shred the broccoli florets and add them to the beans. Add salt and pepper and mix together. Turn off heat and keep aside until needed.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Wipe the liquid on the potato slices with a towel. If you like the potato fully cooked with no crunch then place the potato slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 5-10 minutes,

Place the potato slices as the bottom layer of the lasagna in the pan. Layer half the bean and broccoli mixture over the top.

Follow up by the onion.

The last layer is cheese. Repeat the layers ending with the second slice of cheese. Bake for 15-30 minutes in the oven until the cheese has melted. Switch the oven to broil and brown the cheese.

Enjoy!

This is my entry for week one, day two of BM #81 for the theme Lasagna. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#81.