Posts Tagged ‘legumes’
This is my recipe for one of the more familiar Indian vegetarian dishes-Chana Masala. I didn’t really add any twists here, but if you have freshly cubed coconut available, adding them to this dish add a nice touch. Enjoy with puris.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 small red onion, roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 plum tomato, roughly chopped
- 1 serrano chili, chopped or to taste
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon hot chili powder or to taste
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 fifteen ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons honey or to taste
- 1 handful of cilantro, finely chopped
Directions:
- Toast coriander and cumin. Let cool and then grind. Set aside.
- Heat oil. Saute onions until golden and slightly caramelized. Add in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add coriander and cumin. Cook for 10 seconds. Add apple cider vinegar to deglaze pan. Add in tomatoes and chili. Cook until tomatoes start to break down. Add water if mixture gets too dry. Take off heat and let cool.
- Blend mixture. Put back in pan and add all rest of ingredients except honey and cilantro. Add enough water to cover chickpeas, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Add honey and cilantro off heat. Enjoy with puris!
Hummus is a Middle Eastern dip typically made with chickpeas, tahini, and other flavorings. The possibilities for added flavors are quite a few. Here I’ve added a combination of roasted garlic and granulated garlic to create a hummus with an extra garlic kick. This recipe makes enough to feed up to 10 people. Goes well with 100% whole wheat pita chips and works great as a party appetizer.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 garlic heads
- three 15 ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 4 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1/2 cup tahini
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Smear 1 teaspoon of olive oil over garlic heads to cover. Cover with foil and let roast until tender for about an hour or so. Take out and let cool. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out the garlic from the heads. Set aside.
- Add roasted garlic and all other ingredients to food processer. Process until smooth. Enjoy with pita chips!
This is an example of true whole-foods based dessert that uses a dal (lentil) and only unrefined sweeteners. Traditionally this ladoo (a round Indian sweet) is made from much more ghee so I decided to use some low-fat evaporated milk to lighten it. Grind the dal to as fine a powder as possible-a few granules won’t hurt but if you must, just pass through a sieve to remove ( I grind a bit coarser than usual as I like the crunch the whole particles add.) Makes about 8.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups low-fat (2%) evaporated milk
- 3 tablespoons agave nectar
- 1 cup urad dal (black split mapte)
- 2 tablespoons demerara raw sugar
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
Directions:
- Blend together milk and nectar. Put in pot and bring to a light simmer. Turn heat to low and whisk continuously for about 20 to 25 minutes or until reduced to one-half original volume. Set aside.
- Toast urad dal on dry skillet until lightly brown. Set aside to cool. Add raw sugar to mixture and grind to a fine to slightly coarse powder. This will take some time.
- Melt ghee in pan. Add urad dal mixture and reduced milk mixture. Stir with spatula over medium heat until it just begins to come together and leaves the sides of the pan. Add cardamom powder, mix through, and dump mixture onto sprayed plate. Let cool slightly. Form into balls while still warm. Let cool to set completely. Enjoy!
