Tag: Indian Cuisine

Green Beans & Red Rose Potatoes – Punjabi Style

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Green Beans & Red Rose Potatoes is a classic Punjabi recipe.

Green Beans & Red Rose Potates - Punjabi Style Feature

I decided to make this recipe because my neighbor, Billy brought me fresh green beans and red rose potatoes from his garden.  I am always inspired by the fresh, beautiful ingredients that I have on hand.

My grandmother used to make this dish with a combination of ghee and mustard oil.  The mustard oil adds a fantastic pungent flavor and a fragrant aroma. If you want to make it vegan, you can use grape seed oil instead of the ghee.  

In India most people observe a religious day of the week.  Which day is considered religious depends on the deity that the household follows.   In our household Krishna is our deity and Tuesday is our religious day.  So on Tuesdays we fast until dinner time and don’t eat any garlic or onion.  This recipe was designed for fast day with no garlic or onion.  

INGREDIENTS:

Green Beans & Red Rose Potatoes Ingredients

  • 2 pounds of green beans
  • 1/2 pound of red rose potatoes
  • 2 inches of ginger root
  • 1 inch of turmeric root (use powdered turmeric if the root is not available)
  • 1 large green chili
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 large tomato
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp ghee
  • 3 Tbsp mustard oil (1 Tbsp for coating the potatoes and 2 Tbsp for cooking)
  • 2 Tbsp of my Indian Spice Mix (leave out the garlic and onion powder)
  • 1 tsp of black mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp of cumin seeds
  • salt and pepper to taste

PREP:

Green Beans & Red Rose Potatoes Prep

  • Cut the potatoes in half.  Then cut each half into slices that are 1/4 inch thick.  Coat the potatoes with 1 Tbsp of mustard seed oil and my Indian Spice Mix.  Set aside at room temperature to marinate while you prep the other ingredients.
  • Remove the stems of the green beans.  Cut each bean into thirds.  This should yield pieces that are an inch and a half each.
  • Dice the tomato
  • Mince the ginger and chili

COOK:

Green Beans & Red Rose Potatoes Cook 1

Place a wok or large stainless steel pan on a medium flame.  Add the ghee and let it melt.

When the ghee is hot add the ginger, chili, black mustard seeds and cumin seeds.

Green Beans & Red Rose Potatoes Cook 2

Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the seeds to toast and pop.

Add the tomato paste and 2 Tbsp of mustard oil.

Saute for about 3 minutes to cook the tomato paste and brown the ginger and chili.

Add the marinated red rose potatoes.

Grate in the turmeric root and saute until the potatoes are brown.

Add the diced tomato and half a tsp of salt and pepper.  

Saute until the tomatoes get soft.  This should take 2 or 3 minutes.

Place the lid.  Reduce the flame to low and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, but not yet soft.

Add the green beans.  Mix them in and add 1/2 tsp of salt.  Cover and let cook until the potatoes are soft and the green beans are tender but still a little crunchy. 

Many people in India like their green beans cooked until they are soft.  If that is your preference, then by all means cook the beans until they are soft.  I decided to keep the beans crunchy because they were just freshly picked from the garden.  They tasted so good all on their own that I wanted to keep the integrity of the ingredient.

Remove the lid.  Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime and toss to mix.  Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

This dish is usually served with dal (lentil soup) and roti (Indian flat bread.)  That makes a great vegetarian meal.  I usually pair it with Amritsari Masala Fish and pick out most of the potatoes, so that I can keep on my pescatarian and ketogenic lifestyle.  It can also be paired with any other protein to make a complete meal.

I have been posting Indian recipes for the past 5 weeks.  Next week I am going to switch over to one of my signature Italian recipes.

Until then, namaste 🙏

 

 

Vegan Curry

Posted in Indian FoodTagged , , , , , 10 Comments

I created this Vegan Curry last year, for my Indian Cooking Class/Pop Up Supper Club in Support of the Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry .  The main course on the menu, featured a trio of Indian Curries, to suit a wide range of dietary preferences.

Cooking Class 2 Menu

Eventually, I will also publish the recipes for the Monk-fish Curry and the Oxtail Curry.  If you want to see photos of these curries click on Results of My Second Cooking Class/Pop Up Supper Club in Support of the Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry.

INGREDIENTS:

Vegan Curry Ingredients

  • 4 Chayote Squash
  • 2 large bunches of greens (here I used rainbow chard and beet greens.  Use the freshest greens you can find.)
  • 1 bunch of cilantro (leave it out if you don’t like cilantro)
  • 1 large white onion
  • 2 inches of ginger root
  • 2 inches of fresh turmeric (use powder if you don’t have fresh)
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 2 medium tomatoes
  • 2 green chilies
  • 1 lime
  • 2 cups of cooked chickpeas drained of their liquid (you can also use canned chickpeas if you don’t want to cook them yourself.)
  • 1 Tbsp of tomato paste
  • 1 tsp of black mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp of cumin seeds
  • 1 Tbsp of Chunky Chat masala (use an extra lime if you don’t have this.)
  • 1 Tbsp of garam masala
  • 2 tsp of cayenne pepper
  • 3 Tbsp of grape seed oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

PREP:

Vegan Curry Prep

  • Wash the greens to get rid of all the dirt.  Separate the leaves form the stems.  Julienne the leaves and mince the stems.  I do not throw the stems away, I use them as part of the aromatic base of the curry.  Fresh stems have a lot of nutrition and flavor.
  • Dice the onion and tomatoes
  • Separate the cilantro leaves from the stems.  In Asian countries the cilantro is so fresh that you can use the stems and the roots.  The roots in particular have a lot of flavor.  I was lucky to be able to get very fresh cilantro from the farm down the road.

Cilantro for Vegan Curry  So I minced the stems and roots to go into my aromatic base.

  • Mince the garlic, ginger and chilies.
  • To prep the Chayote, cut it into quarters, remove the core and then chop into bite sized pieces.

MAKING THE VEGAN CURRY BASE:

Vegan Curry Base 1

  • Coat a deep soup pan or a wok with 3 Tbsp of grape seed oil
  • Add the onion, ginger, garlic, chilies, and the minced stems from the greens and cilantro
  • Add half the cilantro leaves, reserve half to be used at the end of the cooking process
  • Saute on medium low heat until the vegetables are soft

Vegan Curry Base 2

  • Add the cumin and mustard seeds
  • Grate in the fresh turmeric (if you are using powdered turmeric, it will be added later in the recipe with the other powdered spices.)
  • Saute for a few minutes to toast the seeds and cook the turmeric

Vegan Curry Base 3

  • Make a hot spot in the center of the pan by pushing the vegetables to the side
  • Add tomato paste to the hot spot

Vegan Curry Base 4

  • Cook the tomato paste in the center of the pan for a minute and then mix it in
  • Add the chopped tomatoes

  • Stir them in and saute for about 5 minutes to soften the tomatoes
  • Add the Chayote squash and the powdered spices

Vegan Curry Adding the Chayote & Powdered Spices

  • Mix well and saute the squash uncovered for about 10 minutes.  At this point the squash should be translucent but not fully cooked.

Vegan Curry Chayote Squash Mixed In

  • Add the chick peas

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  • Stir them in
  • Cook covered for about 10 minutes
  • Add the greens

  • Stir them in
  • Cook covered for another 10 minutes to wilt the greens
  • Add slat, pepper and lime juice.  Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
  • Add the remaining cilantro leaves at the end of the cooking process.

Serve as a side dish or a main dish for vegans and vegetarians.

When I was preparing this curry for my cooking class, I had tender baby spinach available so I used it in the curry.

Tender baby spinach does not take long to cook, so I just added it at the end and turned off the flame.  For dinner service, I put the curry in a crock pot set to warm.  The residual heat was enough to wilt the spinach.

Indian Cooking Class Feature

The photo above shows my buffet set up for dinner service after the cooking class.  The Vegan Curry is in the center crock pot.

I hope you like this hearty vegan recipe.  I would love to hear your feedback in the comments section. 🙂

Amritsari Masala Pork Chops

Posted in Indian FoodTagged , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Here is the pork version, of the Amritsari Masala Lamb Chops that I posted last Saturday.

Pork Loin Rib Chops served with Curried Baby Turnips Feature

The pork chops are also made with my Indian Spice Mix, but I tweaked the flavor with additional warm spices which have a well-rounded, sweet profile to match the flavor of the pork.  I know that sweet things go with pork because Pork Chops & Apples is a classic American combination.

INGREDIENTS:

 

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  • 2 thick cut, bone in pork loin rib chops.  These very special Berkshire pork chops were provided by my neighbors, Rose and James, at Peach Creek Farm.
  • Enough Indian Spice Mix to coat the pork chops.  If you prepare 1/2 a cup of spice mix you should have plenty.
  • 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
  • 1 piece of mace
  • 1 tsp of fennel seeds
  • 1 Tbsp of grape seed oil to coat the pork chops, and 1 Tbsp to coat the non-stick skillet.
  • Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

A FEW NOTES ON THE INGREDIENTS:

Berkshire pork is a gourmet product from a breed of pigs that originated in the English county of Berkshire.  The meat has shorter muscle fibers than regular pork, making the meat more tender.  The meat is also highly marbled with intramuscular fat, making the meat more succulent and flavorful.  Rose and James treat their animals with care, they are not caged, and no hormones or chemicals are used in raising them.  For more information, you can go to their website at Peach Creek Farm.

Mace (on the left) is the outer covering of the nutmeg seed.  It gives a milder, more balanced flavor than nutmeg. It rounds out the flavor profile of the spice rub.

Mace & Fennel Seeds

Fennel seeds (on the right) have a sweet slightly, licorice-like flavor.  They are often used in sausage making.  My husband likes it in the rubs I use for pork, because it makes him feel like he is eating sausage.

PREPPING THE PORK CHOPS:

 

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  • Remove the pork chops from their package and pat them dry
  • Place the mace and fennel seeds in a spice grinder.  Pulverize into a powder.
  • Add this powder along with the cinnamon to the Indian Spice Mix
  • Mix the spices to form a spice rub
  • Sprinkle the spice rub, salt and pepper over the pork chops
  • Drizzle with grape seed oil
  • Rub the spices and oil into the pork chops
  • Flip the pork chops, and season the second side with the spice rub and oil
  • Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour

The seasoned pork chops can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.  The spices prevent the meat from going bad.  This is a good way to prep protein ahead of meal time.

COOKING THE PORK CHOPS:

  • Coat a large non-stick skillet with a Tbsp of grape seed oil
  • Turn the flame to medium-high and let the oil get hot.  When the oil is ready it will shimmer.
  • Place the spiced pork chops into the pan without over crowding the pan.  You should hear a sizzle.
  • Leave the pork alone to let a spicy crust form.  This should take 3 to 5 minutes.  When the crust is ready the pork will release itself, making it easy to flip without sticking.
  • Cook on the second side to get the meat to your desired temperature.
  • Transfer the cooked pork chops to a platter.  Loosely cover with foil.  Let them rest for 10 minutes before serving.  The resting period allows the juices to stay in the meat when you cut into it, thus keeping it moist.

Since pork chops go with something with a sweet profile, I have served them with Curried Baby Turnips (tops & all).

Pork Loin Rib Chops served with Curried Baby Turnips Feature

Turnips are a good low carb alternative to potatoes.  They are perfect for a Ketogenic Lifestyle!  1 medium turnip has 8 grams of carbs and 2.2 grams of fiber, making one whole turnip just 5.8 net carbs as compared to 33 net carbs in one medium russet potato.  They are also a good source of Vitamin C.

My husband likes turnips with pork because their sweet profile goes very well togehter.  Try them with your favorite vegetable.

I hope you enjoy this post.  Please leave me your feedback in the comments section.

I love to hear from you. 😃

 

Amritsari Masala Lamb Chops

Posted in Indian FoodTagged , , , , , 14 Comments

Here is the recipe for Amritisari Masala Lamb Chops that I promised you.

Amritsari Masala Lamb Chops served with Mustard Green Saag Paneer

My home town is Amritsar in the Northern region of Punjab, India.  The spice rub I use on the lamb chops is from Amritsar.  It is the same spice rub that I used for the Amritsari Masala Fish with the addition of cinnamon and dried mint.  Cinnamon brings warmth and extra depth of flavor to the meat, and mint is a classic match to lamb.  We don’t use cinnamon for  the fish because it will overpower the delicate fish.

I don’t eat meat because I was raised a vegetarian and am not used to eating it.  Most Indian people are vegetarians.  I personally don’t like the taste of meat.  If I accidentally eat something made with a poultry or meat broth, I get a very upset GI tract.

My mom was a vegetarian, but my dad eats meat.  I learned how to make meat dishes for my dad.  My husband needs meat in his diet or he doesn’t do well physically, so I also make meat dishes for him and my meat eating Texas friends.  I never taste the meat dishes, but somehow I am able to make them.  My guests always compliment me on them.  I feel like the rat in the movie, “Ratatouille”, I can imagine the flavors in my head.

We live in a ranch community in Texas, so we are lucky enough to have access to the best quality meat that is organic, hormone free and grass fed.  We have neighboring ranchers who supply beef and pork.  My husband raises his own chickens, ducks, their eggs and he goes on fishing expeditions to catch fish for me.  We try to stay as close to Mother Nature as possible.

For this recipe my husband brought home Natural Lamb from our local HEB market.

INGREDIENTS:

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  • 1 pound of lamb chops
  • Enough Indian Spice Mix to coat the lamb chops.  If you prepare 1/2 a cup of spice mix you should have plenty.
  • 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp of dried mint leaves
  • 1 Tbsp of grape seed oil to coat the lamb chops and 1 Tbsp to coat the non-stick skillet.
  • Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

PREPPING THE LAMB CHOPS:

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  • Remove the lamb chops from their package and pat them dry
  • Crush the dried mint leaves between the palms of your hands, and add them to the Indian Spice Mix along with the cinnamon.
  • Mix the spices to form the spice rub
  • Sprinkle the spice rub, salt and pepper over the lamb chops
  • Drizzle with grape seed oil
  • Rub the spices and oil into the lamb chops
  • Flip the lamb chops, and season the second side with the spice rub and oil
  • Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour

The seasoned lamb chops can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.  The spices prevent the meat from going bad.  This is a good way to prep protein ahead of meal time.

COOKING THE LAMB CHOPS:

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  • Coat a large non stick skillet with a Tbsp of grape seed oil
  • Turn the flame to medium-high and let the oil get hot.  When the oil is ready it will shimmer.
  • Placed the spiced lamb chops in the pan.  You should hear a sizzle.
  • Leave the lamb alone to let the spicy crust form.  This should take about 3 minutes. When the crust is ready the lamb will release itself, making it easy to flip without sticking.
  • Cook on the second side to get the meat to your desired internal temperature.  Some people like it medium rare, some medium and I know most Indian people like it well done.  Choose what you prefer.
  • Transfer the cooked lamb chops to a platter.  Cover loosely with foil.  Let them rest for 10 minutes before serving.  The resting period allows the juices to stay in the meat when you cut into it, thus keeping it moist.

You can serve these lamb chops with you favorite side dish.  Here I served it with Mustard Green Saag Paneer.

Amritsari Masala Lamb Chops served with Mustard Green Saag Paneer

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  Please give me your feed back in the comments section.

Next Saturday, I will post Amritsari Masala Pork Chops, the pork version of this recipe.  It will be similar but the spices will be tweaked to match the flavor of the pork.

Stay tuned.  I really appreciate your support and interest. 😊 Bye for now. 🖐

 

 

 

Roasted Bottle Gourd Medallions

Posted in Indian FoodTagged , , , , 3 Comments

Bottle Gourd is a winter squash.  It has many different names such as, Calabash, Long Melon, and Opo Squash.  It is called Dudhi in Central India and Lauki in Northern India, which is where I am from.  It can be harvested young to be consumed as a vegetable, or harvested mature to be dried and used as a utensil.  I grew up eating Lauki.  Most of the time it was peeled and turned into a curry.  It tastes halfway between a squash and a pumpkin.  It is great for a low carb or Ketogenic diet because 100 grams of Lauki has only 2.5 grams of net carbs.

I use all parts of a vegetable because I don’t like waste.  The skin has so much fiber and nutrients, so I decided to come up with a dish that uses the skin.  This recipe is an Indian twist on my Italian Roasted Tromboncino Squash Medallions.

Roasted Bottle Gourd Medallions Feature

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 small bottle gourds
  • 2 Tbsp of my Indian Spice Mix
  • Grape seed oil, enough to coat the medallions
  • Salt and pepper to taste

PREP:

Bottle Gourds Prep

  • Cut the bottle gourd into 1/4 inch medallions
  • Place the medallions on a lined baking sheet for easy clean up
  • Sprinkle the first side of the medallions with salt, pepper and my Indian Spice Mix
  • Drizzle on grape seed oil to coat.  Gently rub in the spice mix and oil into each medallion.  Flip the medallions and repeat on the second side.

COOK:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F
  • Place the sheet trays of medallions in the middle of the oven
  • Let roast until you see the moisture in the medallions bubbling.  About 10 minutes.
  • Remove the sheet trays from the oven and flip the medallions over.  Roast until tender.  About 5 minutes.  Then turn off the oven, and leave in the oven for another 5 minutes.  This will allow the side resting on the sheet tray to to get nicely caramelized without burning.
  • Place medallions on a platter caramelized side up

Serve as an appetizer or a side dish.  You can top them with Pan Seared Scallops for a fancy and tasty presentation.  Here is a photo of my Pan Seared Scallops and Squash to give you an idea.

Scallops and Squash Feature

I usually buy Bottle Gourd at the Indian market.  I have occasionally seen it in my local grocery store, or in a Mexican market.  If you can’t find it, use zucchini instead.

This is an easy recipe that can be made quickly when you are short on time.  It also reheats very nicely.  I keep some in the frig and then pair it with a protein to make a meal in a hurry.  Its great for meal prepping.

Hope you enjoy this.  Let me know what you think in the comments section.

Mustard Green Saag Paneer

Posted in Indian FoodTagged , , , , 11 Comments

Mustard Green Saag Paneer, is the last in a series of six recipes inspired by Vegetables From Down The Road.

Mustard Green Saag Paneer

Saag Paneer is one of my favorite dishes.  The word Saag means any leafy green vegetable.  Paneer is an Indian farmer’s cheese, which many Indians make at home.  Click on Paneer (Indian Cheese)  to check out my recipe.

If you don’t want to make it, you can buy Paneer in an Indian market.  I have even seen it at my local super market, but the quality is not as good as when you buy it at the Indian market.  If Paneer is not available, feel free to substitute, scallops, shrimp or baby red potatoes.

When Saag Paneer is made with spinach, it is called Palak Paneer.  Palak means spinach.  In Punjab, where I am from, the classic Saag is made with Sarson, which is an Indian mustard green.  This recipe is the classic Punjabi dish, inspired by the American mustard greens that were available in my beautiful vegetable basket.

INGREDIENTS:

Saag Paneer Ingredients

  • 1 large bunch of mustard greens
  • 1 cup of frozen finely chopped spinach
  • 1 cup of paneer pieces (the one’s you see in the photo are home made.  They have been coated with my Indian Spice Mix and pan fried in grape seed oil.  This step adds extra flavor but you can skip it and use the paneer plain.)
  • 1/2 cup of plain yogurt.  You can buy it at the store, or if you want to make your own click on My Mom’s Yogurt.
  • 2 Tbsp of tomato paste
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 inches of ginger root
  • 1 inch of turmeric root (if you cannot find fresh turmeric, use 1/2 tsp of powder.)
  • 3 chili peppers (used whatever variety you have on hand – here I used a fiery hot scotch bonnet and 2 mild orange baby bells.) Mixing up the peppers lets you control the heat level and results in a more complex flavor.
  • 1 Tbsp of dried pomegranate seeds ground in a spice grinder
  • 1 tsp of black mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp of cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp of red chili flakes (optional)
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp of cinnamon powder
  • 2 tsp of garam masala
  • 2 Tbsp of ghee (use grape seed oil if you don’t have ghee.)
  • salt and pepper to taste

PREP:

Saag Paneer Prep

  • Wash the mustard greens to get rid of any gritty dirt.  Then tear the leave off the stems.
  • Dice the onion
  • Mince the ginger root, garlic and chili peppers

PREPPING THE SAAG MIXTURE:

 

  • Put the mustard leaves in a food processor and give them a whiz.  You may have to add a little water to help turn them into a paste.
  • Add the frozen spinach and whiz it again to incorporate.

COOK:

 

  • Coat a large stainless steel pot with ghee.  Place the pot on medium-low heat to let the ghee melt.
  • Add the onion, ginger, garlic, chili peppers, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chili flakes and garam masala.
  • Grate in the fresh turmeric root, using a mini grater or a micro-plane.  If you are using powdered turmeric add it when the tomato paste is added so that it does not burn.
  • Saute until the onions get translucent.  About 5 minutes.
  • Make a hot spot in the center of the pan by pushing the veggies aside and add tomato paste.
  • Let the tomato paste cook for a minute and then stir it into the veggies.

 

  • Add the saag mixture
  • Sprinkle in the cinnamon and ground up pomegranate seeds
  • Cook on low heat until the mixture turns dark green.  Stir occasionally while cooking.  This should take 10 to 15 minutes.

 

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  • Add the yogurt and stir it in
  • Continue to cook on low, stirring occasionally until the saag starts bubbling

 

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  • Add the paneer pieces
  • Gently toss to incorporate them into the saag without breaking them
  • Cover with the lid and turn the heat off.  Let sit until ready to serve.

The residual heat will bring the paneer up to the correct temperature without overcooking it.  Overcooked paneer becomes rubbery, so it is best to bring it up to temperature gently.  The residual heat will also allow all the flavors to marry.  This technique of marrying the flavors together is called “DHUM” in Hindi.  DURING THE “DHUM” PERIOD DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO REMOVE THE LID TO TAKE A PEEK.  Removing the lid will let the heat escape and ruin the process of marrying the flavors together.  As a child, I always wanted to lift the lid.  My mom or my grandma would stop me.  Now since they are only with me in spirit, I have to stop myself. 💕  I got a little sentimental writing this.

Saag is traditionally served with Makki Di Roti, a flat unleavened Punjabi bread made from corn meal.  I usually visit my family in India during the winter months when it is Sarson Saag season.  I eat it almost every day, but I skip the Makki Di Roti, because I lead a Ketogenic Lifestyle which does not allow corn.  Occasionally, I cheat and take just a small bite. 😊 Here is a photo of my favorite Punjabi meal from my favorite Punjabi Dhaba (roadside restaurant.)

 

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To make a complete Ketogenic meal, I serve it with Amritsari Masala Fish for me, since I am a pescatarian.  For my husband, who has to have meat in his diet, I serve it with Amritsari Masala Lamb Chops.  Lamb and Saag is a classic combination.

Amritsari Masala Lamb Chops served with Mustard Green Saag Paneer

The spice mixture for the lamb chops is a little bit different than the one for the fish.  I will be posting the lamb recipe on Saturday, August 1st, 2020.  Be on the lookout for it.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed my story and recipe.  Please give me your feedback in the comment section.  I always love hearing from you.

Bye for now 🖐  Have a great day !!!

Collard Greens & Chickpea Stew

Posted in Indian FoodTagged , , , , , , 6 Comments

Collard Greens & Chickpea Stew, is the fifth in a series of six recipes inspired by Vegetables From Down The Road. Collard Greens & Chickpea Stew

In India this dish is usually made with spinach and/or mustard greens.  The gorgeous collard greens, in my farm fresh vegetable basket, inspired me to put in a Southern American twist.  I had never seen collard greens in India, but they are widely available here in Texas.  People in Texas love collard greens.

INGREDIENTS:Collard Greens & Chickpea Stew Ingredients

  • 15 large collard leaves
  • 1 1/2 cup of dry chickpeas
  • 3 inches of ginger root
  • 2 inches of fresh turmeric (if you can’t find this use 1 tsp of turmeric powder)
  • 1 medium sized red onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 3 peppers (use whatever variety you have on hand.  Here I used, 1 fiery Scotch Bonnet and 2 mild orange baby bells.) Mixing up the type of peppers lets you control the heat level and results in a more complex flavor.
  • 2 red hot Indian chilies for garnish (optional.) My husband eats the garnish.
  •  1 Tbsp of tomato paste
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 3 Tbsp grape seed oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper to taste

PREPPING THE CHICK PEAS:

  • Soak the chick peas overnight.  They will double in size.
  • Drain the soaking water
  • Place in a crock pot along with a bay leaf and cover with water
  • Turn crock pot to high and cook until tender
  • Add salt to taste towards the end of the cooking process

PREPPING THE OTHER INGREDIENTS:Collard Greens & Chickpea Stew Prep

  • Remove the collard green leaves from their stems (Don’t throw the stems away.  Chop them up and use them in recipes in place of celery.)
  • Dice the red onion
  • Mince the ginger, garlic and peppers

COOK:

  • Coat a heavy duty stainless steel skillet with grape seed oil, place it on medium heat.
  • Add the onion, ginger, garlic and peppers.  Saute until translucent, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the cumin and black mustard seeds.  Cook until the seeds start crackling.
  • Grate in the fresh turmeric.  If you are using turmeric powder, add it later in the recipe with the other powdered spices.
  • Saute until golden brown
  • Make a hot spot in the center of the pan by pushing aside the veggies
  • Add tomato paste to the hot spot and let it cook for about a minute
  • Stir the cooked tomato paste into the veggies
  • Add the collard greens
  • Saute them for about 5 minutes
  • Add the smoked paprika, garam masala, and the turmeric if you are using the powdered form.
  • Saute for another 5 minutes to let the powdered spices cook and blendCollard Greens Cook 10 add chickpeas

Drain the cooked chick peas and add them to the pan.  If you don’t want to cook the chick peas from scratch, use two 12 ounce cans of cooked chickpeas.  Please drain and rinse the canned chick peas well.

Stir the chick peas in and cover with the lid.  Turn off the heat and let the flavors marry for about 15 minutes.  In Hindi, we call this process of letting the flavors marry, “DHUM”.

Transfer to a beautiful platter and garnish with the red hot Indian chilies.Collard Greens & Chickpea Stew

This is a great vegan dish to make for a party.  It can be made in advance because it actually tastes better the next day.

Serve this stew as a side dish with your choice of protein, or it can be served as a vegan main dish with some pilaf.  I like serving this to my vegan guests with Buckwheat Pilaf.

I hope you are enjoying this series of recipes.  I am having a lot of fun creating them.  Next Saturday, I will post the last in this series of six recipes inspired by Vegetables From Down The Road.

Please leave your feedback in the comment section.  I always love to hear from you. 😊

 

 

Carrot Tops & Coriander Chutney

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Carrot Tops & Coriander Chutney, is the third in a series of six recipes inspired by Vegetables From Down The Road.

Carrot Tops and Coriander Chutney

In my previous post I served the chutney with Sweet Potato & Kale Tikkis (cutlets)

Sweet Potato & Kale Tikkis

Traditionally, this chutney is made with mint and coriander.  Since the vegetable basket I received, had fresh carrots with absolutely lovely carrot tops, I decided to make carrot tops and coriander chutney.  I know there are some people who dislike coriander (also known as cilantro.) In my experience, people are either cilantro lovers or cilantro haters.  For those who don’t like cilantro, please substitute mint.

INGREDIENTS:

Carrot Tops and Coriander Chutney Ingredients

  • 1 bunch of fresh carrot tops
  • 1 bunch of coriander leaves
  • 1 large lime
  • 2 inches of ginger root
  • 1 spicy chili pepper.  I like the long Indian Chili pepper if I can find it.  But a Serrano pepper will also work.
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1/2 tsp of red chili flakes
  • 1 tsp of dried pomegranate seeds.  These add an extra depth of flavor and tartness.  If you don’t have them then use sumac, tamarind or extra lime juice.
  • 1 tsp of garam masala
  • salt and pepper to taste

PREP:

Carrot Tops and Coriandet Chutney Prep

  • Separate the carrot top leaves from their stems.  Do the same for the coriander leaves.  If you live in Asia, where the coriander has really fresh roots, use the roots as well.
  • Roughly chop the ginger, garlic and chili pepper
  • Squeeze the lime so you have the juice ready

MAKING THE CHUTNEY:

Place, all the ingredients in a small food processor and blend into a smooth sauce.  You may have to add a little water to help the blending process.  Taste and adjust the salt, pepper and acidity as needed.  Sometimes I end up adding a little extra lime juice at the end for an extra pop of flavor.

Store the chutney in an air tight container.  It will keep in the frig for about a week.  Mine usually doesn’t last that long. 😊

I was so amazed that I could use carrot tops that would normally end up in the trash, to make such a tasty chutney.  I didn’t have the heart to throw away the carrot tops because they were so fresh and they had a great fragrance.  I am really glad I used them.  It turned out to be a successful culinary experiment.

After I used the carrot tops for the chutney, I still had some leftover.  So I used them to make Carrot Tops & Parsley Pesto Pasta.  I will post the recipe for that next Saturday.

I am having so much fun creating recipes inspired by my basket of fresh vegetables.

Hope you enjoy them too.  Let me know your thoughts in the comment section.