Spinach & green bean rice

So, what’s your take on spinach? Do you like it? You do? Oh good. And green beans? Oh, you like that too? Well, how very curious, they’re both things that I like too! What are the odds???

So, what do you think about spinach and green beans cooked with rice? You think it’s a divine idea too? I AM gratified to hear that, because – wait for it – that’s EXACTLY what I made a little while ago. I mean, really, it’s too good to be true, isn’t it? There you are, dreaming about a flavoured rice that involves spinach and green beans, and here I am, actually making your dream into reality.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking: “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” You are thinking that too, aren’t you? I knew it. Nothing amazing there, given that our thoughts have agreed so awesomely perfectly for the previous couple of paragraphs. There can’t be anything to amaze you after that.

No, wait, I tell a lie. There IS possibly something that you might find amazing, even after all this… and that, dear you, is my gut feeling that if I’d written the dialogues for Hamlet, instead of ol’ Will Shakespeare, I might very possibly – not 100% certain here, to be fair, but very possibly – have written those exact same words that we were thinking of together in the previous paragraph.

Now tell me, is that amazing or is that amazing?

What’s that? Oh, you want the recipe. Well ok, here it is.

Hey, you forgot to tell me if that was amazing or if that was amazing…! Hello...? Are you there? 

Recipe for: Spinach and green bean rice

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice, soaked for 15-30 minutes
1 cup spinach, chopped
3-4 green chillies or to taste

3 cloves of garlic
1" piece ginger
1 cup green beans, chopped fine

2 onions, sliced thinly
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cups water
1 tbsp oil
Juice of one lime (optional)
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Grind the spinach, garlic, green chillies and ginger to a fine paste and set aside till required.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and sizzle the cumin seeds, then add the onions and green beans, and fry them till the onions begin to turn soft.


3. Stir in the spinach paste

and fry it for 4-5 minutes, till the raw smell goes away.


4. Now drain away the soaking water from the rice, and add the rice to the pan.

Add salt to taste and the two cups water and mix well.


5. Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat right down. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid. If you like, you can place a towel over the pan before placing the lid on it, so that the condensation is soaked up by the towel. Let the rice cook for around 17 minutes, covered, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve it hot, sprinkled with lime juice if you like, accompanied by any raita and potato crisps or papad.

RECIPE: SPINACH AND GREEN BEAN RICE

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice, soaked for 15-30 minutes
1 cup spinach, chopped
3-4 green chillies or to taste
3 cloves of garlic
1" piece ginger
1 cup green beans, chopped fine
2 onions, sliced thinly
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cups water
1 tbsp oil
Juice of one lime (optional)
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Grind the spinach, garlic, green chillies and ginger to a fine paste and set aside till required.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and sizzle the cumin seeds, then add the onions and green beans, and fry them till the onions begin to turn soft.
3. Stir in the spinach paste and fry it for 4-5 minutes, till the raw smell goes away.
4. Now drain away the soaking water from the rice, and add the rice to the pan. Add salt to taste and the two cups water and mix well.
5. Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat right down. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid. If you like, you can place a towel over the pan before placing the lid on it, so that the condensation is soaked up by the towel. Let the rice cook for around 17 minutes, covered, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve it hot, sprinkled with lime juice if you like, accompanied by any raita and potato crisps or papad.

Lemony vegetable rice

Are you wondering why this recipe is described as a lemony vegetable rice rather than a vegetable-y lemon rice? Well, why ARE you wondering that? Which of the two do you think is catchier? Welllll??? Yeah, I thought so too. Now you know the intricate thought process behind the title of this post.

I could tell you about how I arrived at all my other post titles too, but you might get bored, and the last thing I want is for my little audience to be bored. Boredom is not the right reward for dogged faithfulness, is it? So let’s just say that the reasoning for any or all of them is usually not far off that for this post. I mean, if I were to tax my brain for the title, what would I do for the main body of the post?

Actually, the answer to that is: Probably what I’ve just done so far.

There it is, peoples of the world. I save my deepest thoughts for finding a cure for an itchy nose, not for blog posts or their titles. That, right there, is the naked truth. Not particularly exciting for something that is naked, is it? Kind of like getting a 65-year-old pot-bellied nondescript-looking man in a beefcake magazine centrespread where you were expecting… oooh, I dunno, say Hrithik Roshan or Colin Firth or Hugh Jackman or …  *slurrrrrrp*

Excuse me while I go off in search of a towel to mop up the drool.

But please, don’t wait for me to return, go right ahead to the recipe. I insist.

Recipe for: Lemony vegetable rice

Ingredients:

2 cups basmati rice, cooked and cooled
2 cups vegetables, chopped into little cubes (potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas, etc)
½ cup chopped red or white onion
2 cloves garlic
4-5 green chillies, sliced into thin rounds (add to taste or omit entirely)
1 tsp chana dal/kadalai paruppu
1 tsp urad dal/ulutham paruppu
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Lemon/lime juice to taste
Coriander leaves and roasted/fried peanuts for garnish

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a big pan, then add the chana dal/kadalai paruppu, urad dal/ulutham paruppu and mustard seeds. Cover and let the mustard seeds pop.

2. When the dals are golden brown, add the chopped garlic, the chillies and the onion along with the turmeric powder and fry on medium heat till the onions begin to turn translucent and soft.

3. Now add the chopped vegetables and sprinkle 3-4 tbsp water over them. Turn the heat down as low as it will go, then cover the pan and let the vegetables cook till they’re done – say 10-12 minutes.

4. Once the vegetables are cooked, get rid of any excess water by turning the heat up and stirring the vegetables about for 1-2 minutes.

5. Now add the cooked rice, sprinkle on salt to taste and add 3-4 tbsp of lemon/lime juice.

Mix carefully till the ingredients are well incorporated. Add more lime/lemon juice according to taste.

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and fried peanuts. Serve hot with potato crisps or other fried snacks or pickles of choice. (I like it with avakkai.)

RECIPE: LEMONY VEGETABLE RICE

Ingredients:

2 cups basmati rice, cooked and cooled
2 cups vegetables, chopped into little cubes (potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas, etc)
½ cup chopped red or white onion
2 cloves garlic
4-5 green chillies, sliced into thin rounds (add to taste or omit entirely)
1 tsp chana dal/kadalai paruppu
1 tsp urad dal/ulutham paruppu
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Lemon/lime juice to taste
Coriander leaves and roasted/fried peanuts for garnish

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a big pan, then add the chana dal/kadalai paruppu, urad dal/ulutham paruppu and mustard seeds. Cover and let the mustard seeds pop.
2. When the dals are golden brown, add the chopped garlic, the chillies and the onion along with the turmeric powder and fry on medium heat till the onions begin to turn translucent and soft.
3. Now add the chopped vegetables and sprinkle 2-3 tbsp water over them. Turn the heat down as low as it will go, then cover the pan and let the vegetables cook till they’re done – say 10-12 minutes.
4. Once the vegetables are cooked, get rid of any excess water by turning the heat up and stirring the vegetables about for 1-2 minutes.
5. Now add the cooked rice, sprinkle on salt to taste and add 3-4 tbsp of lemon/lime juice. Mix carefully till the ingredients are well incorporated. Add more lime/lemon juice according to taste.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves and fried peanuts. Serve hot with potato crisps or other fried snacks, or pickles of choice.

Kothavarakkai kootu

Until my mother mentioned it, I didn’t know that kothavarakkai (cluster beans) could even be made into kootu (although, thinking about it, there’s no reason why not – it’s just that it never occurred to me).

This kootu, however, is quite different from the other kootu recipes I’ve posted so far. I probably wouldn’t have liked it as a kid (preferring it as usili above all, because kothavarakkai has a mild bitterness to it that the dal disguised). But, as a more discerning adult, I have to say I welcomed the chance to learn another way to prepare this vegetable. It was definitely to my taste, what with all the kadalai paruppu in it, but my mother was dissatisfied because she felt it would’ve been better with less of that particular dal.

We’ve agreed to disagree on the issue.

Recipe for: Kothavarakkai kootu

Ingredients:

2 cups kothavarakkai, chopped

1/4 cup masoor dal, cooked and mashed
1/4 cup chana dal/kadalai paruppu, soaked for 15 minutes
1 tsp tamarind paste dissolved in 2 cups water

2-3 tbsp finely grated coconut
2 tsp oil
2 heaped tsp sambar powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tbsp whole urad dal (or regular broken urad dal if you don't have whole)
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
a few fresh curry leaves, torn up
1 tbsp rice flour
Salt to taste


Method:

1. Pressure cook the kothavarakkai with 2 cups tamarind water (3 whistles) or microwave (8-10 minutes in an 800W oven on full power). You can also cook it on the hob with 2 cups tamarind water till the vegetable is soft.

2. Cook the soaked chana dal/kadalai paruppu in 1 cup water on the hob until it is cooked but still retains its shape (should be able to easily squash the dal between your finger and thumb). There should not be too much water left.


3. Add the kothavarakkai to the chana dal along with the cooking water. The liquid level should be just enough to cover the dal and vegetable (you can add more water if required).


4. Add two heaped tsp sambar powder and stir it in.


5. Add salt to taste and stir that in too.


6. Mix the cooked masoor dal and 1 tbsp rice flour with some water from the pan itself, to make a pourable paste, and mix that in with the kothavarakkai in the pan.

Let this simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

7. In the meantime, heat 2 tsp oil in a small pan. Add the asafoetida powder, 1 tbsp whole urad dal, 1 tsp mustard seeds, the curry leaves and 1 tsp coriander powder and let it fry for 30-40 seconds on medium-high heat. When the urad dal starts turning a lovely reddish colour, add the grated coconut and fry till it begins to get a pale brown tinge and smells nutty and fried.


8. Add the fried coconut mix immediately to the kothavarakkai and stir it in.

Bring the kootu to a boil and let it remain on high heat for 2 minutes. Then take it off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes. Serve warm with steamed white rice and appalam or vadam and any pickle.

RECIPE: KOTHAVARAKKAI KOOTU

Ingredients:

2 cups kothavarakkai, chopped
1/4 cup masoor dal, cooked and mashed
1/4 cup chana dal, soaked for 15 minutes
1 tsp tamarind paste dissolved in 2 cups water
2-3 tbsp finely grated coconut
2 tsp oil
2 heaped tsp sambar powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tbsp whole urad dal (or regular broken urad dal if you don't have whole)
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
a few fresh curry leaves, torn up
1 tbsp rice flour
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Pressure cook the kothavarakkai with 2 cups tamarind water (3 whistles) or microwave (8-10 minutes in an 800W oven on full power). You can also cook it on the hob with 2 cups tamarind water till the vegetable is soft.
2. Cook the soaked chana dal/kadalai paruppu in 1 cup water on the hob until it is cooked but still retains its shape (should be able to easily squash the dal between your finger and thumb). There should not be too much water left.
3. Add the kothavarakkai to the chana dal along with the cooking water. The liquid level should be just enough to cover the dal and vegetable (you can add more water if required).
4. Add two heaped tsp sambar powder and stir it in.
5. Add salt to taste and stir that in too.
6. Mix the cooked masoor dal and 1 tbsp rice flour with some water from the pan itself, to make a pourable paste, and mix that in with the kothavarakkai in the pan. Let this simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
7. In the meantime, heat 2 tsp oil in a small pan. Add the asafoetida powder, 1 tbsp whole urad dal, 1 tsp mustard seeds, the curry leaves and 1 tsp coriander powder and let it fry for 30-40 seconds on medium-high heat. When the urad dal starts turning a lovely reddish colour, add the grated coconut and fry till it begins to get a pale brown tinge and smells nutty and fried.
8. Add the fried coconut mix immediately to the kothavarakkai and stir it in. Bring the kootu to a boil and let it remain on high heat for 2 minutes. Switch off the heat and serve warm with steamed white rice and appalam or vadam and any pickle.

Bittergourd pitla

Over the last few years, I’ve been testing my limits with that most unattractive of vegetables, the bittergourd (or karela, bitter melon, pavakkai or whatever name you call it – my husband terms them “rats”), to see just HOW much I love it.

I used to hate it completely, in any form, as a kid. In my late teens or thereabouts, I would as a concession eat them deep fried (yes, I know, very broad-minded of me) mainly because the ones from Hot Chips in Abhiramapuram were sensational.

Eventually, after a couple of decades, I got around to eating them pan-fried crisp, as a dry curry. After that things moved a lot more rapidly in the experimentation department, and I moved on to karela-without-frying-too-much, karela as a semi-dry curry cooked with onions and tomatoes, karela with mustard paste (a double-whammy in the strong flavour department).

While karela pitla (South Indian style) is probably not as scary as it used to be, or even as full-on as karela-with-mustard-paste, I still had to see if I'd like it - just to drive away the last of the childhood fear and hatred of the karela's bitter flavour. And, of course, I passed the test with flying colours, practically inhaling the pitla which my mother made a day or two before she left Shrewsbury.

The only karela-based item that I know I won't like is karela juice. Where that is concerned, I think I'm as blinkered as I ever was, with just one standard reaction: "No way Felipe." (Jose wasn't available.) 

Recipe for: Bittergourd/karela/pavakkai pitla


Ingredients:

2 medium karela/bittergourd/pavakkai, sliced into rounds
1 cup masoor dal, cooked
1 tbsp tamarind paste
3 tsp gingelly oil (or any neutral cooking oil)
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp sambar powder
2 tbsp finely grated coconut
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
1 tbsp rice flour
Salt to taste
a few fresh curry leaves, torn up
3-4 cups water

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a small pan and add the asafoetida powder, mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Cover and let the seeds pop, then add the grated coconut.
Fry on medium heat till the coconut is light brown and aromatic.
Remove from heat and set aside till required.
2. Put about a cupful of water in a pan along with the karela/bittergourd/pavakkai and turmeric powder.
Let it cook till it becomes soft.
3. Dissolve the tamarind paste in 2 cup water and add it to the cooked karela/bittergourd/pavakkai.
 
4. Bring this to a boil, then add the sambar powder and rice powder and stir till well mixed.
 
5. Stir in the cooked masoor dal
6. Add salt to taste along with the roasted coconut and mix in.
7. Boil the pitla for a few minutes longer till it thickens.
Serve hot with rice.

RECIPE: BITTERGOURD/KARELA/PAVAKKAI PITLA


Ingredients:

2 medium karela/bittergourd/pavakkai, sliced into rounds
1 tbsp tamarind paste
3 tsp gingelly oil (or any neutral cooking oil)
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp sambar powder
2 tbsp finely grated coconut
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
1 tbsp rice flour
Salt to taste
a few fresh curry leaves, torn up
3-4 cups water

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a small pan and add the asafoetida powder, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Cover and let the seeds pop, then add the grated coconut. Fry on medium heat till the coconut is light brown and aromatic. Remove from heat and set aside till required.
2. Put about a cupful of water in a pan along with the karela/bittergourd/pavakkai and turmeric powder. Let it cook till it becomes soft.
3. Dissolve the tamarind paste in 2 cup water and add it to the cooked karela/bittergourd/pavakkai.
4. Bring this to a boil, then add the sambar powder and rice powder and stir till well mixed.
5. Stir in the cooked masoor dal.
6. Add salt to taste along with the roasted coconut and mix in.
7. Boil the pitla for a couple of minutes longer. Serve hot with rice.

Golden beet and split-pea dal

Yesterday I went to a supermarket called Morrisons, which I visit only occasionally. It turned out to be very exciting, in the event, because I saw display after display of vegetables and fruits that I'd only ever seen in "ethnic" markets before... bittergourd (albeit the Chinese kind), colocasia, bottlegourd, plantains, curry leaves and so on, along with even more exotic heirloom items - tomatoes and golden beets and pink beets.

To say that I was thrilled is an understatement - Pete was amused by my ecstatic squeaks of joy as I came upon more and more things, some of which I'd only seen in Singapore, or heard of from other food blogs. My first instinct was to buy everything in sight, but in the end I restricted myself to buying some heirloom tomatoes and beetroots (and some spiky looking rambutan. I just couldnt resist those fruits).


To get back to the beets, they looked absolutely lovely when they were peeled - a sort of golden orangey pink, all the shades of a glorious sunset. The intensity of the colours lessened somewhat when the beets were cooked, but they were still very apparent. I have to say I prefer these heirloom beets to the regular red ones because they don't turn everything they touch to a lurid pink. And they still taste like proper beets. They definitely made my dal look pretty in pastel shades! Don't you think so too?

PS. The rambutan? Pete and I ate them. They were beautifully sweet.

Recipe for: Golden beet and split-pea dal
Ingredients:

2-3 medium heirloom golden/pink beets, cooked
 
1 cup green split-peas, cooked 2 medium red onions, sliced thinly
-5 fresh green chillies, sliced thinly
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
 
1 tsp cumin-coriander powder
1 tsp Kitchen King masala (or other garam masala)
1 tbsp oil
Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Salt to taste
1-2 cups water

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the chillies and garlic cloves. Fry for a minute or so, until it's fragrant, then add the cumin-coriander powder.
2. Add the sliced onions and fry till they start to become soft
then add the chopped tomatoes and fry till they're mushy and soft.
3. Add the chopped cooked beets and mix them in with the masala,
then add the cooked split-peas.
 
Pour in a cup or two of water, depending on how thick you want the dal, and stir well.

4. Bring to a gentle boil, then stir in the Kitchen King/garam masala. Add salt to taste.
 
5. Turn off the heat after a couple of minutes, then stir in the chopped coriander.
 
Serve hot over rice or with rotis.

RECIPE: GOLDEN BEET AND SPLIT-PEA DAL

Ingredients:
2-3 medium heirloom golden/pink beets, cooked
1 cup green split-peas, cooked
2 medium red onions, sliced thinly
4-5 fresh green chillies, sliced thinly
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp cumin-coriander powder
1 tsp Kitchen King masala (or other garam masala)
1 tbsp oil
Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Salt to taste
1-2 cups water

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the chillies and garlic cloves. Fry for a minute or so, until it's fragrant, then add the cumin-coriander powder.
2. Add the sliced onions and fry till they start to become soft then add the chopped tomatoes and fry till they're mushy and soft.
3. Add the chopped cooked beets and mix them in with the masala, then add the cooked split-peas. Pour in a cup or two of water, depending on how thick you want the dal, and stir well.
4. Bring to a gentle boil, then stir in the Kitchen King/garam masala. Add salt to taste.
5. Turn off the heat after a couple of minutes, then stir in the chopped coriander. Serve hot over rice or with rotis.

Avocado phulkas

It’s been a long time since my last post. (If I were to count the number of times that I started a post with the previous sentence, I probably would need to make use of the fingers and toes of my friends and family in order to sum it up!)

The reason is that my mother was here for the last month or so, and I happily quit the kitchen – partly because it was convenient, and partly because there would not really have been any way to prevent her from cooking and cleaning, what with me being away at work from 9 to 5. Besides, it's been a while since I've had the comfort and pleasure of amma's cooking!

Anyway, I made these phulkas at least two months ago, and the post has been hanging fire ever since. It’s not going to be new for many people, because it’s possibly been a few years since the whole use-mashed-avocado-to-make-chapati-dough sensation arose and died down. I like to think that I’m like one of those marathon runners who lag way behind everybody all through the event and limp in alone a few hours/days/weeks/months/years later, and then get applauded for at least finishing the darned thing - although I doubt there will be any applause coming my way in this instance. However, if you do wish to congratulate me, I will be happy to accept any commendation. I’m not too proud for that.

The only other thing I wish to say that is unrelated to this post is that I will probably be taking it slow – or rather, taking it slower – with this blog in the coming months for personal reasons. I do still have 2-3 recipes that I want to post, but beyond that… well, hopefully 2012 will see in a more committed and enthusiastic me.

So, about the avocado effect – the chapatti dough was soft and could be rolled out beautifully thin, and the phulkas stayed soft for longer than they normally do with me. Very nice, as you all probably know already.

Recipe for:   Avocado phulkas

Ingredients:


1 large ripe avocado

4 cups wholewheat chapati flour
salt to taste
water as required
1 tbsp omam/ajwain/carom seeds


Method:


1. Scoop out the avocado flesh, discarding the skin and seed, and mash it smooth.

2. Put the mashed avocado in a large mixing bowl and add the flour, ajwain/carom seeds, and salt to taste. Using water as required, slowly mix the flour and avocado to make an elastic, smooth dough. It shouldn't be sticky.

Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes.
3. Pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a lime, and roll it out into an even, thin circle, sprinkling extra flour if it looks like sticking to the rolling pin, and turning it over as required.

4. Place the rolled out dough on a hot tava, letting it cook for 30 seconds or so, then flip it over and let that side cook.

5. At this point you can use a phulka "mesh" to cook the phulka directly over the open flame, letting it puff up, then flipping it over to cook the other side.

If you're unfamiliar with this method, you can cook the phulka on the tava itself by gently pressing down on the dough with a clean, bunched up tea towel till the phulka acquires brown spots.
6. Serve hot with dal and a vegetable curry.

RECIPE: AVOCADO PHULKAS

Ingredients:

1 large ripe avocado
4 cups wholewheat chapati flour
salt to taste
water as required
1 tbsp omam/ajwain/carom seeds

Method:

1. Scoop out the avocado flesh, discarding the skin and seed, and mash it smooth.
2. Put the mashed avocado in a large mixing bowl and add the flour, ajwain/carom seeds, and salt to taste. Using water as required, slowly mix the flour and avocado to make an elastic, smooth dough. It shouldn't be sticky.
Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes.
3. Pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a lime, and roll it out into an even, thin circle, sprinkling extra flour if it looks like sticking to the rolling pin, and turning it over as required.
4. Place the rolled out dough on a hot tava, letting it cook for 30 seconds or so, then flip it over and let that side cook.
5. At this point you can use a phulka "mesh" to cook the phulka directly over the open flame, letting it puff up, then flipping it over to cook the other side.
If you're unfamiliar with this method, you can cook the phulka on the tava itself by gently pressing down on the dough with a clean, bunched up tea towel till the phulka acquires brown spots.
6. Serve hot with dal and a vegetable curry.