Cumin Seeds Berbere Cauliflower

Over the years, I've come to realize that some of the ingredients in the traditional dishes were not just randomly included: it seems like the age-old recipes factored in the benefits of the required ingredients and made up a formula for the rest of us to follow.

One such ingredient which is a staple in most Indian recipes is cumin. Besides being a digestive aid, it has antifungal properties, and is rich in iron. Powdered cumin with castor oil used to be a standard home remedy my mom gave us when we were young, for its laxative properties.

Anyway, I am rambling here... what I was getting at is that, while I do experiment with fusion cuisine, I also try to incorporate ingredients that I grew up with and use it in a sensible way. Or atleast, in a way that seems sensible  to me.

I have been using Berbere spice mix often lately as I have a goodish batch of it handy. Cumin seeds (jeera) with roast cauliflower is a simple and popular side dish in Indian cuisine. This time, I simply steamed the cauliflower partially so it is still firm, then sauteed with berbere spice mix, a touch of brown sugar, salt, and cumin seeds, plus chopped cilantro; then finished off by roasting it in the oven.

Cassava and Purple Kohlrabi in Coconut Cumin Yogurt Sauce

The texture of cassava reminded me of chena, Elephant foot yam, a staple in my mom's kitchen when it is in season. My mom's famous chena-elavan koottu is an all-time favorite. I haven't had it in ages, as I can't find Elephant foot yam in my neighborhood markets. But, when I made the cassava fries, I thought it might be worthwhile to try cassava as a substitute for chena in this recipe.

The coconut-cumin yogurt sauce is pretty standard in south Indian cooking, Palakkad-style.

The purple kohlrabi that came in the CSA basket was handy, along with all the kohlrabi, radish, and chard leaves I had saved.

Mung beans, aka Moong dal, adds body and protein to this packed-with-goodness veggie dish that can be served as-is or with some perfectly done brown rice.

Ingredients
1 small kohlrabi diced
2 to 3 cups chopped radish, chard, and kohlrabi greens
1 cup diced cassava
¼ cup spit yelllow moong dal
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste

For the Coconut-Cumin Yogurt Sauce:
1 to 1½ cups thick plain yogurt, beaten till smooth
¼ cup dry grated unsweetened coconut
3 dry red chilies
1 Tablespoon cumin seeds

Tempering: (optional but recommended for enhancing flavors)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
½ tsp black mustard seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds

Preparation

1. Combine the vegetables in a pan, along with mung beans, turmeric, and brown sugar, add enough water, cover, and allow to simmer till vegetables and mung beans are tender but not mushy
2. Meanwhile, combine the coconut, chilies, cumin seeds in a blender or food processor and grind to a fine powder
3. When veggies are cooked, stir in the coconut-cumin-chilies mixture, adjust salt to taste, simmer gently for a few more minutes till well incorporated, then turn off heat
4. Allow to cool slightly before folding in the beaten yogurt
5. Tempering: Heat oil in a pan, when it shimmers add the mustard seeds, when that pops add in cumin seeds and turn off heat; pour this tempering over the dish just before serving, stir well

Caribbean Squash Coconut Cumin Koottu

There are days when I barely make it home from work - not just the traffic, but the killing headache and associated nausea makes it all the more challenging to get home safely. Focused on deep breathing during the commute, all I can think of is getting home, hugging an ice pack and curling up on the sofa...

And on such days, just to make it fun for the kids, they get cereal or waffles or pancake puffs or something topsy-turvy for dinner - something that Papa can easily handle after his longer day at work.

I saw this West Indies/Caribbean Squash at the local market - it didn't have a specific name, so, not sure what it is called... Its taste and flesh reminded me of large sections of Matthanga, which along with Elavan made the delicious Olan, the best version, of course, being my mom's. I've always had a soft spot for Matthanga, it has a delicate sweet flavor, with a pumpkin-like soft texture when cooked.

Anyway, other than the fact that cutting and cleaning the squash is a pain, this is a simple dish that comes together quickly.

Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with naan, paratha or brown basmati rice.

Ingredients
3 cups of diced squash
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
salt to taste
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
cilantro for garnish

for the coconut paste:
¼ cup grated coconut
1 Tablespoon cumin seeds
2 or 3 dry red chilies

Tempering:
½ teaspoon split urad dal
¼teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon coconut oil
6 to 8 curry leaves, if handy

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the turmeric powder and the squash, some salt and water, cover and cook till squash is soft but not mushy, drain any excess water
2. Meanwhile, grind the coconut paste ingredients together
3. Stir in the coconut paste and the brown sugar, adjust salt to taste
4. Tempering: heat the oil, add urad dal, when it turns golden brown add the mustard seeds; when mustard seeds pop, add curry leaves if using, turn off heat and pour over the squash curry

peas and cumin rice

Rice seems like such a perfect food and I love it. I grew up eating rice everyday, and, if I don't eat it at least once a week, I really miss it.

Fragrant, long, not-so-glutinous brown basmati rice is my favorite, followed by white basmati rice, then brown rice, followed by jasmine rice and then, last bust not the least, sweet-and-sticky rice.

Certain recipes work best with certain varieties of rice; although any other variety will work just as well, this recipe feels perfect with basmati rice.

Ingredients
4 cups cooked white or brown basmati rice
2 cups fresh peas, or frozen peas
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 medium yellow onion diced finely
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced finely
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
½ cup cilantro leaves, for garnish
1 Tbsp home-made flavored ghee, or butter, or canola oil
salt to taste

Preparation

1. heat ghee in a pan, add the cumin seeds till they plump up, get aromatic and are fried but not burnt
2. add the onion, garlic, ginger, and a pinch of salt, sauté till onions turn translucent
3. add the peas, stir, cover and cook till peas are just done but not mushy
4. add the rice, stir well, adjust salt to taste; off-heat garnish with cilantro
5. serve warm with raita and curries like ridge gourd curry, or egg curry, or soya chunks curry, or, baby eggplant curry
   

Sometimes, I throw in some cooked chick peas as my wee tot loves this dish - for that matter, anything with peas, chick peas, corn, green beans and rice, flavored with garlic and ginger, with some sautéed onions seems to appeal to her these days...