Chayote Squash and Wild Rice with Lentils and Quinoa Soup

Chewy wild rice along with quinoa add texture to this thick stew-like soup, with the lentils adding body, and chayote squash giving it the slightly unorthodox edge.

I grew up eating chayote squash on a regular basis, usually in lentils-based koottu, or as coconut-based molagoottal. I like its pear-like crispness and mild bland flavor that lends itself well to be incorporated into any dish.

Add in favorite herbs from the garden as a bouquet-garni, some garlic, and some cayenne pepper and the stew comes together quite easily.

For a quicker weeknight meal, I pressure cook the wild rice and lentils in vegetable stock. Then, add in the veggies and seasoning, allow to simmer gently, and serve warm.

Kids were unimpressed by the color of the soup, they would have preferred it not so tan and brown, but, they scooped spoonfuls and enjoyed ti anyway.

Nopales, Chayote, Green Papaya Warm Salad

Nopales -- prickly pear cacti paddles -- was available in the Mexican market nearby, so I decided to cook it up in a quick and simple way.

Nopales is better when boiled in water for 5 to 7 minutes and then drained and rinsed before incorporating in recipes. It can get quite gummy and slimy otherwise.

Chop up the chayote and green papaya and some onions, plus some favorite seasoning and cook in a pan till mostly done. I went with Blazin' Blends New Orleans Seafood Seasoning Mix this time.

Meanwhile, boil the chopped nopales with a dash of salt for 5 minutes or so, drain and rinse to remove stickiness.

Add the drained cooked nopales to the pan and continue cooking till all the veggies are cooked tender but not mushy. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve warm garnished with chopped colorful peppers and spring onions.

Green Papaya, Chayote Squash, Jicama, Ginger Thai-Style Salad

Chayote Squash, or "chow-chow" as it was called when I was young, belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, like melons, squash and cucumbers. It has a distinct texture -- a bit crisp but fleshy like pears, and has a mildly sweet watery flavor, high in fiber and folate. Quite a few savory Indian recipes use this pear-like vegetable.

Jicama, aka "Mexican turnip" is another favorite that has a crisp apple-like crunch and a mild sweet flavor, high in dietary fiber.

Green Papaya, rich in fiber and antioxidants, is treated as a vegetable in Indian cuisine, cooked in curry sauce or with coconut cream and lentils; or in salads raw and fresh.

The three of them together make a perfect combination for crisp fresh salad, dressed lightly with Asian-fusion-inspired flavors. Optionally, I had pickled ginger handy, plus thinly sliced purple onions, colorful mini peppers, and crisp sweet snap peas.

Ingredients
Green papaya
Chayote squash
Jicama
Snap peas
Pickled ginger slivers
Purple onions
colorful mini bell peppers
Scallions

Dressing:
2 tsp Lime juice
1 Tbsp Honey
1 tsp Bragg liquid aminos
1 tsp Mirin
2 tsp Apple cider vinegar

Topping: roasted unsalted peanuts, crushed

Paruppusili: Warm Vegetable Salad with Lentils

Growing up on staple South Indian vegetarian cuisine - vegetables and legumes and grams along with rice and yogurt and a variety of pickles - I find that these still offer the comfort of sumptuous yet quick-fix meals.

Over the last decade, rather than white rice, I opt for quinoa or brown Basmati rice, sometimes millet or barley, with barley being more of a soup additive by preference than a rice alternative.

Combining vegetables with lentils for the protein boost is one of my favorite side dish or starter, if not the main course. The classic example is the Paruppusili dishes I make on and off and can't have enough of.

Just about any vegetable lends itself to this method of presentation, except the squashes (summer and winter) and  bittergourd and beets and greens, according to my mom. And, Kovakkai/Tindora Paruppusili used to be a very special treat during season.

Of course, I beg to differ... Beets+Potatoes Paruppusili is quite delicious with a unique combination of textures and tastes. And there is nothing like the crunch and nutrition of Kale Paruppusili.

The typical method is to soak the toor dal with some cumin and  dry red chilies and then grind it into a coarse paste, steam it, then pan fry it before tossing it with the cooked vegetables. Seems elaborate, but after arriving at some short-cuts and alternatives over the years, this is something I enjoy making on and off.

An alternative to the typical paruppusili is to roast and coarse-grind lentils and stir it into to finish the cooking vegetables:

Simply toast some Urad dal and chana dal till golden brown, along with some dry red chilies, asafoetida and cumin seeds and grind it in a spice-grinder to a coarse powder. Toss in some roasted peanuts, if preferred, while grinding.

I start with tempering for these dishes first - heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan, when it is shimmering add mustard seeds and when they pop add some curry leaves if available, then add the chopped vegetable, a pinch of salt and water as needed to cook the vegetables. Finish off the dish by stirring in the ground dal mixture. And for want of a better word, since 'paruppu' means lentils/dals, I still call this style of dish as Paruppusili.

Chayote Squash, Carrots and Cabbage Paruppusili

Hearts of Palm, Chayote Squash, Radish Seed Pods salad

Hearts of Palm, Chayote Squash, Radish Seed Pods plus a few other vegetables come together for this summery salad served chilled, with Asian flavored dressing.

I threw some vegetables I had handy as I liked the combination, but, any favorite set of vegetables would work as well.

The salad tastes better when prepared a day ahead and allowed to rest in the fridge and develop flavors.

Ingredients
a jar of SunPix™ Hearts of Palm, cut into rings (use as much as preferred)
1 small chayote squash, peeled an diced
¼ cup water chestnuts (optional)
¼ cup radish seed pods (optional)
½ cup chopped baby corn
a handful of sugar snap peas
1 crisp fresh tomato, pulp removed if preferred, chopped
1 carrot cut into rounds
a handful of chopped bok choy
3 or 4 mint leaves, chopped finely for garnish
1 tsp lemon zest for garnish
1 Tbsp sesame oil

Asian Peanut Chili Dressing:
1 Tbsp peanut oil
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp sambal oelek
1 tsp ginger marmalade (or orange marmalade)
1 tsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp unsweetened peanut butter

Preparation

1. Blanch the chayote squash in salted water, drain and keep handy
2. Blend the dressing ingredients and keep handy
3. Heat the peanut oil in a pan, saute the vegetables with a hint of salt, adding in the blanched chayote squash - all except the hearts of palm and tomatoes - for a few minutes and turn off heat; allow to cool completely
4. Toss in the tomatoes and hearts of palm with the sauteed veggies, drizzle some dressing, chill in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes; garnish as desired, drizzle more dressing as preferred and serve cold

Chipotle Sweet Potato, Taro Root, Kale, Chayote Squash, Long Green Beans Soup

A simple brothy soup, best enjoyed hot and steaming on a cold wintry evening.

The not-so-creative title says it all - it is an unconventional mix of vegetables I had handy: Kale, Long Green Beans, Chayote Squash, Sweet Potato and Taro Root.

I used store-bought stock and chipotle in adobo sauce.

Ingredients
2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, pureed (incorporate 1 tsp of sauce with each chili)
8 cups vegetable stock - or stock and water in any proportion adding to desired amount
Chayote Squash, Sweet Potato, Taro Root - peeled and diced or sliced
Kale, Long Green Beans - chopped
Black-eyed Peas, soaked overnight and cooked till done but not mushy
salt to taste

Preparation
Combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Adjust flavors to taste. Thicken if preferred. (I like this soup brothy). Serve hot.

Chayote Squash Slivered and Pan-cooked

Chayote squash is quite watery and almost bland, so, it lends itself to a variety of treatments. I like it cooked up as a spicy side, or a blandish koottu, either way, it is great with rice and roti.

Mandolin slicer is one of my favorite kitchen tools, as long as I can make sure bits of my fingers don't end up with the sliced vegetables :) This recipe again just came about as I had Ras al Hanout handy and was getting addicted to its flavor...

Ingredients
2 chayote squash, peeled, julienned
1 small yellow onion, sliced thinly
½ to 1 Tbsp Ras al Hanout, adjust to taste
salt to taste
1 Tbsp canola oil

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pan, add the chayote squash matchsticks, sprinkle some salt and Ras al Hanout, stir well, cover and cook for a bit till chayote squash softens
2. Since chayote squash is full of water, no extra water is needed to cook this; remove lid and pan fry to desired dryness

Plantain Squash Koottu

Green Plantain, with its potato-like meaty starchy texture, along with watery squash like opo squash or chayote squash is an interesting combination for me.

This koottu is like most other koottus I make usually, only, I used a combination of toor dal and chana dal in this one. Toor dal cooked well and mashed gives some body and the chana dal cooked just enough gives the nutty texture in every bite.

Serve with rice or roti, or enjoy it as-is - a nutritious bowlful to counter the cold winter blues :)

Koottu ingredients that I usually use are pictured here:

grated coconut
urad dal
par-boiled rice (optional)
dry red chilies
cumin seeds

Dry roast them and grind them with just enough water to form a smooth paste, and add to the dals and veggies that make up the koottu.

Ingredients:
Koottu paste
1 plaintain
1 chayote squash
1-2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
salt to taste
curry leaves or cilantro, slit green chilies - for garnish

Tempering: 1 Tbsp canola oil, 1 tsp urad dal, 1 tsp mustard seeds
Preparation:

1. Dry roast and grind the koottu ingredients, keep handy
2. Dice the plantain and chayote squash (peel them first, of course) to bite size chunks
3. Cook the toor dal in a pressure cooker or saucepan till mushy, mush it a bit and keep handy
4. Heat the oil in a pan and add the turmeric powder, sauté a bit, then add the vegetables and chana dal, some salt and just enough water, allow to cook
5. add the koottu paste and fresh grated ginger, simmer for a few minutes more till flavors meld
6. Tempering: heat oil in a small pan, when it shimmers, add the urad dal, when it turns golden brown add the mustard seeds, and when they pop, turn off heat and add the tempering to the finished dal; stir well before serving
7. Garnish with curry leaves or cilantro and slit green chilies

chayote squash koottu

Chayote squash is generally bland and watery and doesn't seem to have much of a strong flavor of its own. So, to me, it is ideal for using in several different dishes combined with different spices. I like its texture when cooked.

I grew up calling it chou-chou and loved the various dishes my mom made with it - like chou-chou more-kozhambu(aka more-kali), more-koottaan, chou-chou koottu, even chou-chou sambar.

The koottu recipe here is adapted from one of my favorite cook books for south indian foods: Dakshin by Chandra Padmanaban. This book is a gift from my husband and I treasure it because when the recipes are followed closely, they come out pretty tasty - sort of like how my mom makes them.



Koottu, to me, sort of refers to the gravy in the dish which is made with specific ingredients: if it has lentils and certain ingredients which i list below, then it is a Koottu :-) The vegetable in the koottu can be substituted for other seasonal vegetables - for instance, chayote squash in this recipe can be substituted with say, ridge gourd or ash gourd or yam or snake gourd and still have a delicious koottu.

Ingredients
for the spice paste:
2/3 cup dry(or fresh) grated coconut
7-8 dry red chilies (less, if you prefer)
1 Tbsp urad dal
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp par-boiled rice (puzhungal arisi)

2 cups cooked toor dal
3-4 cups diced chayote squash (or any other vegetable in season)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp brown sugar (optional)
salt to taste
2 Tbsp canola oil
some water
6-8 curry leaves*

tempering:
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp mustard seeds

Preparation

1. dry roast the spice paste ingredients and when cool enough to handle grind them to a fine paste with just a tad bit of water to get them all together; set aside
2. heat oil in a pan, add the tempering: chana dal first, when it turns golden brown, urad dal and when it is golden brown, add mustard seeds; keep a screen lid handy as mustard seeds will try to jump out of the pan
   
3. when mustard seeds splutter and die down, add the diced chayote squash, turmeric powder, curry leaves, some salt and some water; cover and let the chayote squash cook till soft
4. add the spice paste from step 1, and the cooked toor dal, brown sugar; stir well and let it simmer for about 5-8 mins till the flavors meld; add a little water if the gravy seems too thick; adjust salt to taste
   
5. off heat garnish with curry leaves; serve warm with rice or roti or naan.

* Curry Leaves are sort of special and I love to incorporate them into my cooking. When I was growing up in India, I noticed many of my friends and family sort of pick it out of their food and throw it away. What a waste. I have not found any substitute for the wonderful flavor they impart, and they are certainly not equivalent to bay leaves. Curry leaf chutney or thohayal is one of my favorite ways of getting all its goodness.