Home-garden New Potatoes Curry (Instant Pot)

 

Potatoes and onions have become quite the staple in today's cuisine that the market is flooded with them throughout the year. And yet, there is something satisfying about growing a few in the backyard as they are easy, no-fuss plants that manage to survive despite my neglect.

Potato plant's flowers are rather unassuming yet sprightly when in bloom. 

 

Baby potatoes are fun to dig up and use, as long as they are not green.

A growing potato with its multiple arms and tentacles seems quite alien and spooky, if I let my imagination run a bit wild. When the plant has withered and died back, it is with a mix of sadness and anticipation that I dig up the adult potatoes.

Anyway, back to the Instant Pot Potato Curry. Simply peel the potatoes. I like to scoop out or drill a hole and stuff the potato with the masala paste for added flavor. Dump the stuffed potatoes, tomato sauce, favorite curry spices, plus about a cup of water into the instant pot. Pressure cook for about 12 minutes till potatoes are fork tender. Natural release after about 10 minutes. Then set it to saut/simmer mode and allow the gravy to thicken per taste. Adjust flavors. I use Garam masala paste or powder usually, with a touch of  Madras curry powder and brown sugar.

Eggplant Flavored With Fenugreek, Nigella Seeds, Black Sesame Seeds, Black Pepper, Curry Leaf, and Peanut

It's been a while since I posted any new recipes here. I've been making some of the staple comfort foods that I've already posted here, plus, I've been lazy.

The never-ending title for this post is basically the ingredients list. Eggplant is eggplant: people love it or can't stand it. I am crazy about it, as can be seen from the zillion-odd eggplant recipes here featuring this gorgeous purple berry.

The spices bring in the kick that eggplant seems to lack. Also, cooking the eggplant just enough so it is tender but nor mushy brings some texture to this dish that can be appealing.

Ingredients
 6 Italian eggplants, sliced into long wedges
1 medium onion, sliced thinly

spice/flavoring:
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
½ tsp nigella seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
6 to 8 curry leaves
2 Tbsp roasted peanuts

salt to taste
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
2 Tbsp vegetable oil for sautéing

Preparation

1. Toast the spice/flavoring ingredients on medium low heat till aromatic, just a few minutes, then cool a bit and grind to a coarse powder and keep handy
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the grated ginger, turmeric powder, onions and the cut eggplant; sprinkle some salt, stir well and cook till partly done
3. Add in the spice/flavoring powder from step 1 and toss to incorporate well, continue cooking till eggplant is cooked to your liking
4. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm as-is or with a side of brown rice or quinoa

Lahori Fish Fry

In keeping with the fish theme here, this Lahori Fish Fry is a perfect snack food that can be made into a meal with some standard accompaniments.

Over summer our fresh-caught Alaskan Halibut was frozen for later use so as to savor the flavor and make the catch last longer.

Halibut and Salmon seem to be the only two fish that kids and the other adult seem to relish the most, cooked up in any which way that suits my mood.

Typically, Lahori fried fish is not served with any sauce, it is enjoyed as a fried snack food along with chutney. The seasoning and batter mix makes all the difference, bringing this dish alive, requiring no further enhancements.

However, I decided to make a simple sauce and serve with rice for dinner one evening.

Rather than make a batter, I decided to keep the seasoning and flour mixture dry and coat the fish with it and fry the pieces in batches, much like Indian pakoras.

Ingredients:
2 cups cubed halibut pieces
vegetable oil for frying

Lahori Fish Seasoning Mix:
1 cup chickepea flour
¼ cup rice flour
½ tsp crushed carom seeds (ajwain)
1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
1 tsp crushed caraway seeds
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp black pepper powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp powdered clove
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

For the sauce:
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp chaat masala
4 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
2 Tbsp sambal oelek
2 Tbsp Bragg liquid aminos
1 cup water
cornstarch as needed to thicken

Preparation

1. Make the chaat masala and keep it handy; can prepare ahead and store it in an airtight container
2. Combine the Lahori fish fry seasoning ingredients to form a smooth dry mixture
3. Coat the halibut pieces with some cooking spray and add the Lahori fish fry mix a little at a time, stirring well, until all the fish pieces are coated well
4. Fry in batches and drain in a paper towel
5. Make the sauce and toss in some of the fried fish in the sauce, serve with rice; reserve the rest of the fried fish minus the sauce to enjoy as-is

Stuffed Baby Eggplant with Sweet-and-Sour Peanut Filling

It is no secret that I love eggplant, as evidenced by the wide array of Eggplant Recipes shared here. While I don't eat eggplant everyday, it does seem like I am rather partial to it. On and off I avoid nightshade family which include eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes to help the gut recover. Choosing ripe red peppers and ripe red tomatoes and and ripe purple eggplant seems to work so far.

Small Indian eggplant, when ripe, is just a little bigger than a large egg and perfect for slitting and stuffing to make spicy dishes. This time, the flavorful sweet-and-sour masala paste for stuffing is made with peanuts, tomatoes, dry red chilies, plus my favorite combo for sweet-and-sour: tamarind paste + grape molasses.

[Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with these brands, these are just the ones available where I shop]


Simply grind the masala paste, make cross-wise slit in the eggplants and slather the paste inside. Reserve some of the paste for the gravy, if preferred.

Ingredients
For the peanut masala paste:
½ cup dry roasted peanuts
4 to 5 dry red chilies
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 Tbsp grape molasses
2 Tbsp tamarind paste
salt to taste

2 Tbsp vegetable oil or safflower oil
water as needed

Preparation

1. Masala Paste: Combine the peanut masala paste ingredients, grind to a smooth paste and keep handy
2. Slit-and-Stuff Eggplant: Make two slits in the eggplant perpendicular to each other keeping the stem intact; slather the masala paste into the crevices by gently opening up the slits
3. Cook: Heat oil in a pan, add any reserved masala paste and sauté ; then, arrange the slit-and-stuffed eggplants gently, splash some water and sprinkle some salt, cover and allow to cook over medium heat; turn the eggplant gently to cook all sides evenly till cooked through but still intact
4. Serve with Basmati rice or naan; or just enjoy it as-is, like an appetizer

Zucchini Chutney

When Ridge Gourd Chutney is a staple, can Zucchini Chutney be far behind?

One of the home-garden zucchinis became the base ingredient for this chutney.

Sautéed with onions, green chilies, and tomatoes, flavored with salt, tamarind and grape molasses, and then ground up with toasted urad dal and chana dal, this zucchini chutney is easy to make and quite versatile.

For a thicker consistency, pan cook it till the excess water from zucchini evaporates. Temper with mustard seeds and cumin seeds if preferred.

Zucchini Paruppusili

Paruppusili is a traditional south Indian side dish made with vegetables and lentils. Ever since my first taste of Banana Flower Paruppusili my mom made when I was young, I have been terribly fond of this dish, and still consider it a comfort food.

These days I make paruppusili from various other vegetables, not just banana flowers. I love the concept: fresh seasonal veggie lightly steamed; then sauteed with pan-fried lentils. The lentils are not just cooked and fried, but, they undergo a wonderful procedure that boosts their presence in this dish.

A few of the garden zucchinis needed to be harvested. While thinking of ways to cook them up, paruppusili popped into my head. Along with some carrots, zucchini paruppusili seemed like a good idea.

Typically, I soak some Tuvar dal (split pigeon peas) in warm water along with some fenugreek seeds and dry red chilies. Then, grind into a thick paste that can be shaped into balls. Steam these balls, they will harden a bit but yet have the soft consistency of a meatball. At this point, the lentil balls can be cooled and frozen for later use.

For the paruppusili dish, the steamed  lentil balls are coarsely crumbled and pan-fried in coconut oil till lightly crispy; then the steamed veggies are tossed in with salt to taste. That's it. Served warm or at room temperature, this dish is a complete meal.

Of course, it might be okay to skip the make-into-ball-and-steam routine, and just pan-fry the ground up lentil paste.

If the steamed lentils are going to be crumbled anyway, why bother making them into balls? Well, the lentil balls are used to make another one of my comfort foods - Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu.

Between the Paruppusili and Paruppu urundai sambar, when one is planned the other automatically begs its existence as well.

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.

Amaranth Greens Coconut Milk Soup

One portion of the large bunch of amaranth greens from the farmer's market became a spicy amaranth greens curry with rutabaga and beets. Another portion of it became this flavorful coconut milk-based soup as in this recipe.

Rather than the traditional Thai flavors, I went with a simple no-fuss Madras Curry Powder flavoring, something that spells comfort food for me sometimes.

Amaranth greens, bell peppers, onions, and broccoli stems made up the veggie body of the soup. Have I mentioned I love edible stems and save them diligently for such dishes as where they will shine?

Nothing much to the soup - sauté the veggies in some coconut oil, add in some curry powder, turmeric powder, and salt to taste, stir in enough water to get the veggies par-cooked; then stir in enough coconut milk and simmer till flavors meld. Off heat squeeze a half lime over the soup to add a bit of citrus-y goodness, garnish with cilantro before serving

Amaranth Greens Rutabaga Beets Chard Spicy Ethiopian-Spiced Curry

A giant bunch of Amaranth greens hopped into my tote bag, all by itself, wanting to go home with me, imagining all the wonderful dishes it can become.

And so, couple of dollars gleefully jumped out of my pocket and nestled in the lady's palm at the farm stand while the amaranth leaves settled into my already brimming tote.

One dish is not enough to relish, and showcase, this amazing amaranth greens. High in dietary fiber with chockful of goodness like vitamin B6, folate, iron, manganese, calcium, plus cholesterol-lowering tendency and antihyperglycemic activity, I only wish it was available in the supermarkets on a regular basis instead of just the local farmers markets on and off. Most Amaranthus species are annual weeds, short-lived, and not all species are cultivated for the greens, so, understandably, they are not available year-round here. Amaranth seeds are one of my favorites as well, to boost salads and make kedgeree/kichri/porridge.

Known as Thotta Keerai or Thandu Keerai in Tamil, I remember my mom buying bundles of greens from a vendor who also knew which greens can address the heating/cooling of the body as needed, based on Ayurvedic principles. The thick but tender stems of amaranth greens remind me of tender asparagus. This is quite a staple as far as greens go in south Indian cuisine.

Some rainbow chard were ready to be clipped and used from the home garden.

I had some beets and rutabaga from the farmers market from last week. It seemed like a good combination for a spicy curry with a blend of South Indian and Ethiopian flavors. Ever since Ethiopian spice-mixes like Berbere, Mekelesha and Mitmita became readily available, much like the Indian spice-mixes such as Madras curry powder and Garam masala powder and Sambar powder, I have been adding them to my favorite Indian recipes. Fusion cuisine being my passion, finding equivalent substitutions from various cuisines to mix and match the flavors has been a wonderful obsession.

Nothing much to it, except for the curry paste which is non-traditional one I made up on a whim. and, managed to jot down the ingredients this time to share.

Ingredients:
For the spice paste:
1 Tbsp chana dal, lightly toasted
½ Tbsp urad dal, lightly toasted
3 to 4 dry red chilies
3 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes for the intense flavor(or, use tomato paste)
1 Tbsp tamarind paste (sold as Sour Soup base mix in Asian stores)
2 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp cumin powder
2 Tbsp Berbere powder (Ethiopian spice mix)
1 Tbsp Mekelesha powder (Ethiopian spice mix)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
____
Veggies:
2 cups chopped amaranth leaves
1 medium rutabaga diced
1 medium beetroot diced
8 or so rainbow chard, chopped
¼ cup diced onions
_____
1 Tbsp peanut oil
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Spice paste: Combine the spice paste ingredients with a splash of water and grind to a fine paste in a blender or food processor, keep handy
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the veggies, turmeric powder, a pinch of salt and sauté
3. Add the spice paste and sauté some more
4. When onions turn translucent, add the amaranth leaves, just enough water to cook the veggies, cover and simmer gently, adding a splash of water as needed till veggies are fully cooked but not mushy, and the gravy thickens to make the curry
5. Serve warm with roti or naan or plain basmati rice

Quelite Lamb's Quarter Leaves with Potatoes

Quelite (kay-lee-thay) shown here is also known as pigweed or lamb's quarter. (Any generic greens can be referred to as quelite as well, as I understand it).

This particular weed used to be a commonplace greens my mom cooked when I was young. Known as Paruppu Keerai or Chakravarthi Keerai, Chenopodium album is not as popular as, say, spinach or kale, even though it is supposed to have hepatoprotective benefits, as well as antibacterial activity on a handful of pathogens that affect humans. Some weeds have it better than others!

All that aside, did I happen to mention that I picked up a bunch of quelite from the farmer's market when I also picked up some pipitza  and some papalo that this bubbly farmer encouraged me to munch on while I shopped at his stand?

I sifted through my childhood memories and came up with this simple dish that I used to love eating with rice and rasam.

Ingredients
1 medium onion, diced
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced
6 to 8 ripe cherry tomatoes (any variety is fine, I had these handy in the garden)
1 bunch of quelite/lamb's quarter/pigweed, tender stem and leaves chopped, washed
2 large potatoes, cut into chunks
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Juice of one lime
salt to taste
1 Tbsp sesame oil


Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic, turmeric powder and a pinch of salt, sauté
2. Add the chunks of potatoes, some water, cover and cook till potatoes are par-cooked
3. Add the chopped quelite, tomatoes, brown sugar, salt, some more water, cover and cook till greens are tender and potatoes are fork-tender
4. Off heat, squeeze the juice of one lime, stir well and serve warm with roti or naan, or plain brown rice

Home Garden Swiss Chard and Zucchini Dal

Dal ('dhaal') in India stands not just for the dry split pulses/grams but also for the dishes cooked using these pulses. Moong dal ("mung beans" in Asian stores) cooked with spices and veggies is a favorite accompaniment to rotis and rice.

The first home garden zucchini was ready to be harvested one weekend.

Home-garden rainbow Swiss chard leaves were crisp and sprightly as well.

The two naturally came together to make an amazingly simple yet satisfyingly sumptuous dal.


Ingredients
1 cup dry moong dal
1 medium zucchini, cut into bite-sized chunks
10-12 rainbow chard leaves, stem included, chopped
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 medium yellow onion, diced finely
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 jalapeño, diced
1 Tbsp curry powder
salt to taste
1 lime
1 Tbsp ghee (or coconut oil)
cilantro and scallions for garnish

Preparation

1. Pressure cook the moong dal to mush; if pressure cooker is not handy, cook in a saucepan till moong dal is soft and squishy
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the onions, ginger, jalapeño, turmeric powder and a pinch of salt, sauté
3. Add the zucchini and chard and sauté some more till zucchini is cooked 
4. Stir in the cooked mush dal, taste and adjust flavors, cover and simmer adding a splash of water as needed 
5. Off heat, squeeze the juice of half a lime, stir well, taste and add more lime juice as needed

Salmon Curry Indian-Style with Coconut Cream

The very last fillet of salmon, caught by the other adult in Alaska, emphatically insisted on being served as a sublime Indian-style curry full of ambrosial flavor and heady aroma.

Curries, I can make on autopilot. Call it conditioning, call it instinct, call it self-possession... but, it seems rather unlikely to find myself bungling curries. They are the most flexible and tractable of Indian dishes with no single carved-in-stone recipe to befoul, and therefore quite forgiving when I take liberties with the tried-and-tested.

One could simply toss the chopped salmon chunks into the simmering gravy and all will be fine. But, the extra effort that adds a touch of discernible difference is to cook the salmon first on a hot cast iron skillet after gently rubbing with garam masala powder, salt, splashing some fresh lemon juice, and allowing the fish to marinate before searing it on the skillet.

Scoring the skin-on salmon fillet, and marinating as a single large piece rather than cut chunks works best for the skillet-searing, rather than worrying each individual piece to cook uniformly.

Ingredients

A splash of lemon juice and about half a teaspoon of garam masala powder mixed with a pinch of salt for marinating
A 7-inch long skin-on salmon fillet, scored to separate chunks after cooking
Chopped Vegetables: red bell pepper, onions, kale, peas, potatoes
2 Tablespoon Coconut oil
Salt to taste

For the gravy/curry sauce:
14 oz. can coconut cream

dry roast and grind to powder:
2 cardamom pods
2-inch piece of Indian cinnamon bark
2 cloves
1 teaspoon whole green (or black) peppercorns

grind to fine paste:
½ cup tomato purée
2 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or cayenne pepper)


Preparation

1. Sear the salmon: Heat a cast iron skillet to high heat, add a tablespoon of coconut oil and place the scored and marinated salmon skin side down and allow to crisp a bit; then flip and cook the salmon till mostly done, it will finish cooking in the curry sauce; by now the skin will easily peel off and the chunks can be separated to individual pieces scored earlier
2. Start the curry: heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a saucepan, add the ground paste and saute till aromatic, then add the finely ground powder of dry roasted spices, stir well till well-incorporated, season with salt to taste
3. Simmer: Add the veggies, salmon, a scoop of water as needed, and simmer for 5 minutes or so, then, stir in the coconut cream, cover, and simmer gently over medium heat till salmon is fully cooked and the curry reduces to a creamy consistency
4. Serve warm with brown or white basmati rice, or even naan/roti

Kale and Potatoes Spiced with Turmeric and Berbere

Saag Aloo/Aloo Palak is an earthy staple side for rotis and rice, made with potatoes (aloo) and palak (spinach).  Aloo Mattar (potatoes+peas), Aloo Gobi (potatoes+cauliflower) are two other favorite sides that are ubiquitous in Indian homestyle cooking.

Hunks of pototoes are cooked till they are fork-tender but still retain their shape; along with any other seasonal greens or other vegetable, mildly spiced with turmeric, chili powder, and salt typically.

This time, for this kale+potatoes dish, I went with turmeric powder and berbere powder which I had some handy from my recent Injera bash.

Saute some garlic and onions, add the diced potatoes, some turmeric powder, salt and berbere powder, splash enough water, cover and cook till potatoes have softened a bit, then add the chopped kale, adjust seasoning and cover and cook till kale wilts. Remove the lid and cook till the dish comes together, stirring sparingly as needed.

Green Jackfruit Taquitos

Growing up with young green jackfruit as part of a vegetarian diet, I never gave it much thought, never felt it was supposed to be exotic or that it had the potential to stand in for meat. It was a fantastic element to be relished on its own right, especially in south Indian style cuisine that I was nurtured on.

There are quite a few jackfruit recipes shared here so far, and I've been finding ways to use them in more unconventional dishes as well.

Jackfruit is quite popular in Asian cuisine, especially in Indian cuisine. Not just the ripe fruit used for desserts, and chips, but particularly the young green jackfruit that is treated as a vegetable.

My mom's specialty is "Idi Chakkai" - a Palakkad term for smashed young green jackfruit dish flavored with coconut and chilies, and tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves. I could not have enough of it when I was young.

Jackfruit seed - nicknamed "jacknut" - is another favorite at home, quite a special treat, even though tons of these get discarded every jackfruit season.

The raw green jackfruit when smashed into coarse chunks have the texture of shredded chicken. Being mild in flavor, these raw green jackfruit chunks lend themselves to a variety of deep flavoring, and quite easily make a good meat imitator.

In local Asian grocery stores, various brands of canned young green jackfruit are available at a reasonable price. I prefer the ones canned in water rather than in brine. But, the brined ones are not too salty so they work well in savory dishes.

I've sauteed them with a light coating of barbecue sauce and used them as pizza toppings, and in Sloppy Joes.

In this taquitos recipe, the green jackfruit is flavored with Taco Seasoning and used as a filling with beans and cheese to make scrumptious taquitos.

Simply add beans cheese and seasoned green jackfruit into a corn tortilla, roll it up and bake it, or pan fry it.

Chicken Xacuti

Almost a decade ago I spent a short few days in Goa, India, leaving much of the place to be explored on a later trip that hasn't materialized yet.

Possibly due to the tropical biodiversity and the cultural amalgam, Goa has a rich cuisine that was shaped by 400 years of Portuguese colonialism with nuts from Brazil, plus tomatoes, potatoes, chilies, as well as the locally abundant coconut which graces almost all savory curries.

Chicken Xacuti ("sha-kooti"), aka Chacuti de Galinha, is a Goan chicken curry with layers of flavors thoughtfully incorporated to tease and satisfy the palate, especially for the curry-lovers.

The dry roasted spices ground to a powder, plus the masala paste ground to a thick rich consistency with a base of onions, ginger, garlic and tomato combine to form a delectable gravy in which the marinated chicken piece are cooked till tender and juicy.

Instead of chicken, prawns or fish can be substituted with the same curry paste gravy.


The dry spices: coriander, cumin. caraway, poppy seeds, black peppercorns, star anise, Indian cinnamon bark

For the masala paste: Ginger, garlic, onions, tomatoes, and coconut
'

Rub the chicken with turmeric powder and marinate in yogurt while getting the spices and masala paste ready.


Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, chopped, rubbed with turmeric powder, marinated in plain yogurt

Dry spices:
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp coriander seeds
2 Tbsp black peppercorns
3-inch piece of Indian cinnamon bark
1 star anise
½ tsp caraway seeds
½ tsp poppy seeds

Masala paste:
2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
8 to 10 cloves of garlic
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 medium tomato chopped

2 Tbsp coconut oil
4 to 6 Tbsp coconut cream or coconut milk

Preparation

1. Heat some coconut oil in a pot, add the masala paste and saute till aromatic
2. Drain and add the marinated chicken pieces and stir to incorporate well
3. When chicken is mostly cooked, stir in some of the dry ground spices
4. Finally, as an option, add a few tablespoons of coconut cream to enhance the tropical flavors
5. Serve warm with steamed plain basmati rice or naan

Portabella Mushroom and Radish Greens Curry

Now that winter is here and there's not enough sunlight, I miss the fresh herbs and baby greens from my garden. I particularly miss tender fenugreek leaves and young mustard greens, which I incorporate in my cooking as much for their healthful properties as their fresh crisp taste.

To remind me of the joys of fenugreek leaves, I decided to include a picture here taken over summer in my garden.

Fresh Fenugreek leaves from summer garden

In summer, I make this mushroom curry on and off with different varieties of mushrooms and greens -- the most common version is with with white button mushrooms and fenugreek leaves. Portabella being my favorite, I use it more often than other kinds. Stuffed Portabella makes a fantastic meal on its own, and especially when paired with my favorite arugula-and-pear salad, it feels like a feast.

This time, I went with Portabella mushrooms and radish greens. Now, radish is another favorite in my home garden – mainly, I must admit, for its gorgeous lilac flowers when it goes to seed and particularly the edible radish seed pods! We did the seed-saving and planting for a couple of years and then I got lazy... Maybe next year I get to do it again.

This is a simple curry, Indian-style: Saute and simmer, that's it.


Ingredients
1 cup radish greens, coarsely chopped with stems and all
1 Portabella mushroom, diced
½ large purple onion, diced
1 large tomato, diced
6 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
½ cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Marinate the Portabella mushroom in yogurt mixed with turmeric powder, keep it aside while assembling the rest of the ingredients
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic, tomatoes, a pinch of salt, and saute
3. Add the radish greens and marinated mushrooms, spices and seasoning, a splash of water, cover and simmer on low heat till mushrooms are cooked through and the flavors meld
4. Serve warm with naan or roti, or even cooked millet or cous cous.

Chicken with Black Peppercorn, Nigella Seeds, Black Sesame Seeds, Dried Basil and Fenugreek Leaves

Panch Phoron spices -- a combination of five ("panch") ingredients - is a spice mix quite standard and much relished in many northern and eastern parts of India. I was introduced to it by one of my room-mates whose family was from West Bengal, and she used to cook some wonderful fish, which I never got to relish as I was practising being vegan in those days...

Anyway, this time, I went with the combination of a different set of five unique ingredients for the spice mix -- black peppercorns, dried fenugreek leaves ("methi"), freeze-dried basil leaves, black sesame seeds, and nigella seeds. The freeze-dried basil rehydrates with a burst of freshness that the dehydrated basil lacks.

Lightly toast the seeds and peppercorns, add in the dried fenugreek and basil leaves and grind to a fine powder. When stored in an air-tight container, this spice mix will keep well for a week or so, and in the fridge it will last a month at least. But, I prefer fresh ground when I want to use it.

Rub an organic free-range chicken breast with tamarind and salt and allow to marinate while the spice mix is getting ready. Cut into chunks when ready to cook.

Ingredients
Black peppercorn Sesame seeds Nigella Fenugreek Basil Spice Mix:
3 Tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
3 Tbsp freeze-dried basil leaves
2 Tbsp black peppercorns
1 Tbsp nigella seeds
1 Tbsp black sesame seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder

2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp tamarind concentrate
salt to taste

2 Tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

Preparation

1. Rub the chicken with salt and tamarind and allow to marinate while the spice mix is getting ready
2. Toast the sesame seeds, nigella seeds and peppercorns, add in the dried fenugreek and basil leaves and grind to a fine powder
3. Heat the oil in a pan, add the marinated chicken and turn it around to coat evenly with oil, allow to cook for a few minutes on each side
4. Add in the spice mix powder stir well, add a splash of water, cover and cook over medium low heat till chicken is cooked through
5. Garnish with thinly sliced bell peppers and onions tossed in lemon juice for a bit of sparkle and balance, serve with a side of quinoa or millet or wild rice or even just simple roti or naan.

Spicy Bitter Melon Curry with Fenugreek and Szechuan Peppercorns

Indian Bitter gourd and Chinese Bitter melon are oft-relished veggies at home. Having offered it to kids since they were little, both seem to like bitter gourd and bitter melon, especially as chips. Healthful properties of this supremely bitter vegetable is no secret in India, where many regional recipes showcase this green beauty.

This time, the flavors come from toasted Szechuan peppercorns and fenugreek seeds, along with other curry staples. After toasting the peppercorns, put it through a sieve to remove the husks before using.

Health benefits of fenugreek is also quite well-accepted in India, where the cuisine naturally incorporates it in many everyday dishes. Just ½ tsp of fenugreek seeds, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed in the morning and eaten on an empty stomach is a habit I had going for a while, and still do on and off but not as regularly as I'd like, being too forgetful with old age and all.

Served with a side of pearl millet, this is a hearty weekend brunch.

Ingredients
1 Thinly sliced red onions
2 medium bitter melon, cleaned and sliced
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
cilantro for garnish

Spice Mix:
1 Tbsp Szechuan Peppercorns, toasted
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds, toasted

Masala paste/gravy:
2 Tbsp Tamarind
1 Tomato, chopped
1 cup diced yellow or red onions
6 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger

Preparation

1. Soak the sliced bitter melon in salted water and let it sit while preparing the spices
2. Masala paste: Grind up the paste and keep handy
3. Spice mix: toast the peppercorns and fenugreek seeds, put it through a spice grinder and sift to remove the shell-like husks
4. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the sliced onions with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder
5. Add in the masala paste and saute some more till the rawness of onions mellows down; then stir in the spice mix powder and sauté some more
6. Drain the bitter melon, rinse well, pat dry, and add it to the pan, stir in enough water to make a gravy, cover and simmer on medium low heat till bitter melon is cooked through
7. Adjust salt to taste, garnish with cilantro and serve warm with roti or quinoa or millet

Salmon Fish Curry

A hunk of fresh-caught Alaskan salmon was asking to be made into an Indian-style flavorful fish curry. Not too spicy but full of aromatic goodness.

Most Indian curries start with a ginger + garlic + onion + tomato  ground up to the masala paste base; to which cumin + coriander + star anise + Indian cinnamon bark + black peppers/dry red chilies mix is added in powdered form and sautéed for flavors to develop.

That is just one of the popular combination of dry mix, but there are umpteen regional variations, of course: fenugreek seeds, bay leaves, poppy seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, black cumin seeds, black cardamom, black mustard seeds, black sesame seeds...

Similarly, the masala paste has a few variations like adding yogurt, or almonds, or coconut, or tamarind, or curry leaves...

Part of the fun for me is to go with the flow, with my mood, with the ingredients handy in the kitchen (which is usually well-stocked with spices), and make a "surprise" curry.

Ingredients
2 cups of cubed salmon
1 large Poblano pepper, sliced
a few colorful sweet peppers, sliced
½ cup red onions, sliced
2 Tbsp coconut oil
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp brown sugar or demerera sugar
salt to taste

For the masala paste:
½ cup diced onions
½ cup diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp chopped garlic
2 Tbsp grated ginger
2 Tbsp tomato paste

For the spice mix:
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp white sesame seeds
1 tsp white poppy seeds
1 star anise
2 dry red chilies


Preparation

1.  Masala paste: Combine the masala paste ingredients and blend to a fine smooth paste and keep handy
2. Spice mix: toast the spice mix ingredients in a pan till mildly aromatic, allow to cool a bit, then grind to a fine powder, keep handy
3. Heat coconut oil in a pan, add the onions, turmeric, some salt and sauté
4. Add the masala paste and peppers and saué some more till the rawness of garlic and ginger cook away
5. Add the fish cubes and the spice mix, stir well and saute some more
6. Add just enough water to immerse the fish, stir in the brown sugar, cover and simmer till fish is cooked and the flavors meld
7. Serve with cooked quinoa, or millet, or rice, or roti or naan.

Four Delectable Wheat Meat Dishes

Gluten has strongly polarized the current generation of food-loving folks. Depending on who we talk to, either gluten is the root cause of all evil and ailment, to be censured and possibly banned from diets; or, gluten is quite an essential part of a nutritionally-balanced meal that includes optimal whole grains which provide a rich array of vitamins and minerals.

Celiac disease is very real. Research connecting diabetes and gluten is well published. And, many seem to have high sensitivity to gluten in their diet, even if not diagnosed with Celiac disease.

Over the past few years, after staying gluten-free months at a time, switching to quinoa, millet, amaranth, brown rice for weeks a stretch, it seems to make no significant difference to the folks at home. So, I've made peace with gluten for now, promising to revisit the issue in a year or so. 

I am not a nutritionist, but, I do believe in consuming as much natural, primarily-vegetarian foods as possible with minimal processing -- leaning towards fresher,  homemade options than conveniently packaged heavily processed foods. As to going grain-free? I am still researching and experimenting.

Anyway, all that is to segue into these 4 vegetarian recipes for using homemade wheat meat. 

Every once in a while, I make a batch of  wheat meat with variations in flavor and cooking methods just to see if this is still tolerated by our digestive systems. Since it stores well in the fridge and freezer, I can use a little at a time incorporating it in a variety of dishes.


I. Wheat Meat Bulgogi with pickled ginger

Nothing much to it. Instead of beef, which we don't eat, simply slice the wheat meat and toss with other ingredients like, pickled ginger strips, pickled carrots and beets, julienned summer squash and cucumbers, thinly sliced onions soaked in vinegar,



II. Wheat Meat Crumble Burritos

Cut up the wheat meat chunks into smaller pieces and run it in a food processor to make a coarse crumble. Saute some onions, bell peppers, tomatoes along with the crumble, add some Taco seasoning and there you have it.

III. Wheat Meat Fajitas

Similar principle as above, but just thinly cut them to strips along with peppers and onions.

Homemade corn tortillas fresh off the griddle makes this interesting.

IV. Wheat Meat Meatballs

Since wheat meat is already cooked and ready to go, simply crumble it in a blender, then add egg and wet slice of bread for binding. Either bake or pan cook till it has a crusty outside and firm enough that it can hold its shape well in the sauce.

Other wheat meat dishes shared earlier:

Wheat Meat Pot Roast

Wheat Meat Philly Cheesesteak