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

Gold Beets and Chard with Toasted Walnuts and Pine Nuts

The flavor of golden beets is milder yet robust compared to the strong earthy sweetness of the red beets. I love the bright yellow of it, almost as if it was steeped in turmeric powder which is a staple in my kitchen.

I usually cut them into wedges and cook them in the microwave till done - firm, not mushy. Then, heat oil in a cast iron skillet and pan roast them till golden brown. Toss some into lettuce salads, or use these roasted golden beets to make the beet-feta salad.

Here, I simply add chopped rainbow chard to the same cast iron skillet where golden beets are roasted; when chard wilts enough, season to taste; serve warm topped with toasted walnuts and pine nuts.

Chard Rice with Butternut Squash Ribbons and Pine Nuts

Peel the butternut squash, and then, use the peeler to cut out some strips of the butternut squash. Deep fry these strips to make the butternut squash ribbons. Keep handy for garnish.

Start some rice cooking - either the sticky kind of Thai, Jasmine or California short-grain, or my favorite brown basmati or any other long-grain rice.

Toast some pine nuts and keep handy for garnish

Sautée some chopped veggies like onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers in a tablespoon of olive oil, with a pinch of all spice powder, some Szechuan flower peppercorns, salt and turmeric powder (optional). Then, add chopped chard and cook till it wilts. Stir in the cooked rice to make the Chard Rice.

Serve the Chard rice topped with butternut squash ribbons, toasted pine nuts and chopped spring onions.

Chard Eggplant Baked Croquettes

Jokes about its color and shape notwithstanding, these croquettes were consumed hot off the oven without much coaxing by the other adult in the family. Kids could take it or leave it. Rather than deep frying, these are baked and can get dry if left in the oven for too long.

Ingredients
1½ cups finely diced eggplant
2 cups chiffonade chard
1 small onion, finely diced
1 Serrano chili, finely chopped
1 Tbsp finely grated ginger
¼ cup chopped mint and fennel leaves
1 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes
2 dried ancho pasilla chilies, reconstituted in water
1 cup cooked chick peas
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp oil

For coating:
2 Tbsp chickpea flour
4-6 Tbsp breadcrumbs

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F
2. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté all the ingredients, except chickpea, chickpea flour and breadcrumbs
3. Combine the sautéed ingredients with cooked chickpeas to make a thick dough to shape into croquettes
4. Add a bit of chickpea flour as needed if the dough is too sticky or loose
5. Coat with breadcrumbs and bake in a 400°F oven for about 20 mninutes, checking half way
6. If the inside is not fully cooked leave on for another 5 minutes or until done
7. Remove from oven and serve with favorite dipping sauces

Ruby Chard, Green Chickpeas, Eggplant and Tofu

Swiss Chard, Ruby Chard, Rainbow Chard... they have good flavor and go well with other vegetables.

I had about half a long Chinese eggplant, a bunch of chard, some cooked green chickpeas and some marinated baked tofu. They came together to make a wonderful chunky and colorful dish that is just juicy enough, rather like a stew.

The dish is flavored it lightly with some garlic cloves, coriander powder, paprika, sautéed in olive oil.

Add the chard, green chickpeas, and eggplant chunks, some salt and water/stock. Cover and simmer till vegetables are done to your liking. Top with marinated pan-fried tofu chunks and serve warm.

Swiss Chard Dolma

Dolmas: Something Stuffed.

Flavorful stuffing wrapped in favorite leaves and steamed. Be it East Asian style lettuce leaves or Mediterranean style grape leaves or Swiss chard.

Blanch the Swiss chard leaves after cutting away the white thick stems carefully. I have a tendency to over-stuff, but, this time I managed to use just enough and wrap it into tight little packages for steaming.

Brown rice with toasted pine nuts, feta, and dried cranberries, flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and a hint of cayenne pepper makes up the stuffing for these Swiss Chard Dolmas.

I served it with a Balsamic Vinaigrette dip and Sweet Chili Sauce. But a delicious rich tomato sauce or a light and delicate Mint-Yogurt sauce or Tahini-Sumac-Yogurt Dressing would be wonderful as well.

Home-garden Yellow Squash, Chard, Green beans, Tomatoes

Another delicious meal straight from the garden: the yellow Mexican squash was ready to be picked. Some chard, green chilies, green beans and tomatoes were ready as well. They all came together for this simple vegetable medley, with some corn kernels and onions.


Simply sauté together till vegetables are cooked but not mushy. Add favorite spices. I used one of my favorite store-bought paste: Maggi™ "Kitchen Secrets"™ Bhuna Masala Paste for Vegetables and Dal.

Home Garden Chards, Zucchini, Pearl Onions Soup

After a month of practically zero cooking thanks to visiting my family, it feels nice to just throw something together (as is my wont) for a quick meal back at my nest.

There is something romantic about cooking (and eating) at an odd hour late-night, especially after returning home from a long trip, and having only a few things in the cupboards/pantry - even if it is just heating up a can of beans or having fresh rice with Indian pickles.

Of course, the kitchen cupboards are usually well-stocked with spices, and the pantry has some canned essentials like beans, coconut milk etc., so, it isn't really a big deal to scrounge something up for a quick bite.

Anyway, the onion seeds we had saved from last year were thrown in a small patch in the garden and they sprouted up nicely, which I had been using before I went on the summer vacation.

Now that I am back, I see that there are a bunch of little onions all crowding together, looking like gorgeous little pearls. A bit of cleaning, no tedious skin-removing, and I have a ton of pearl onions to incorporate in my cooking. Of course, red pearl onion arachu vitta sambar is my all-time favorite South Indian dish, but these white/yellow pearl onions are great even in salads as they are not too pungent.

A large zucchini, some chards, some green chilies, mint, and pearl onions - all from our garden - came together quickly for this coconut-milk-based soup for our first brunch after we got back.

The flavoring is simple as I went with Italian spices I had handy - just dry/ground spices like garlic powder, celery seeds, basil, oregano, marjoram. I crushed some mint leaves and green chilies to keep things green for the flavoring. It is best enjoyed chilled or at room-temperature on a warm summer day.

Cabbage Kofta in Creamy Chard Sauce

Koftas are fried balls, usually made with minced meat, but can be made with just about any vegetable as well. They are typically served in a rich creamy sauce.

I prefer vegetable or paneer koftas. And the sauce can be tomato-based, cream-based or even made with favorite greens or other vegetables. I like the cilantro-jalapeño sauce as much as this silverbeet/chards sauce.

Koftas usually don't involve bread slices - just flour like chickpea, rice, all-purpose, corn. I had some heels of bread slices to use up so they came in handy here. As I often mention, à la Owl in Tearwater Tea, the heels - the end-slices of sliced bread loaves - ignored and discarded usually, have my sympathies. Which is precisely why I like to use them for binding, even for making breadcrumbs and croutons.



Spinach would be a good alternative, but, I had harvested the rainbow chards from my home garden and wanted to use it up. This Cabbage Kofta in Creamy Chard Sauce can be served with plain hot basmati rice, or with roti or naan or bathura or even pooris.



Ingredients
For the Kofta:
1 cup packed finely chopped cabbage
2 or 3 bread slices
seasoning salt/spices/salt to taste
water as needed
oil for frying

For the Sauce:
As much chards as in picture, chopped finely (more if preferred)
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 small onion, diced finely
1 Tbsp finely grated ginger
4-6 pickled jalapeno rings (or green chilies, to taste)
spices: cumin powder, coriander powder (optional, to taste)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp canola oil
optional: Half-and-half -OR- Evaporated milk for a creamier texture

Preparation

1. Cabbage Kofta: Combine the kofta ingredients with just enough water to make a dough that can be shaped into balls; deep fry till cooked through on the inside, drain and keep warm
2. Sauce: Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions, ginger and garlic; toss in the chopped chards, some salt, spices, and a few tablespoons of water, cover and allow to simmer and wilt till mushy
3. Combine the cooked chards with the chilies or jalapeno rings in a blender and grind to a smooth sauce, return to pan and simmer some more, adjusting flavors with lemon juice and brown sugar; stir in evaporated milk or half-and-half for creamier texture at the end
4. Toss in the koftas with the sauce before serving

Swiss Chard Masiyal

Keerai (aka greens) masiyal was not a big favorite when I was little as it was mushy, thick, bland and usually served with some pickle or pappadam.

Over the years, I have fallen in love with this and have added a few variations to make it more appealing to me. So, this recipe is not quite traditional in that sense. This chard masiyal recipe is very simple, quick to whip up on a weeknight and quite nutritious.

My mom usually makes it with spinach, but I use a combination of spinach and chard here. We had a bunch of chard in our garden and I decided to use it up.

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen chopped spinach (or fresh)
1 bunch swiss chard
3-4 green chilies, chopped
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2-3 Tbsp Madras Curry powder
salt to taste
¼ cup finely chopped fresh coconut for garnish (optional)
Tempering: 1 tsp canola oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, 1 Tbsp chana dal, 1 tsp urad dal

Preparation

Chop and wash the chard and spinach (if using fresh) well. Drain. Steam in the microwave till wilted and tender, using very little water. Squeeze out excess water. Allow to cool a little.

Combine the steamed greens, chilies and ginger and grind to a fine smooth paste, adding very little water, preferably none.

gently simmer this greens paste, adding a Tbsp of water at a time as needed, add the curry powder, adjust salt to taste

Tempering: In a small pan heat the oil, when it shimmers, add the chana dal, when it turns golden brown add the urad dal, lower the heat, and when urad dal turns golden brown add the mustard seeds and when they pop, add the cumin seeds, and turn off the heat. Throw in the chopped coconut ,if using.

Garnish with the tempering. Serve warm with warm rice, papapdam, vegetable curry, or even rasam and indian pickle.

p.s: thanks to Ashaji's comment, I am now aware of the Green Blog Project event (GBP) and this will be an entry for my Summer 2007 GBP event hosted by Deepz.

A few plant facts: The chard in our garden were from a local nursery, we just transplanted the seedlings in  early summer. This is Zone 5, with an average of 200+ days of growing season.

Cut off the outer leaves 1 1/2 inches above the ground when they are young and tender (about 8-12 inches long). Be careful not to damage the terminal bud, at the center of the bottom of the growing rosette of foliage. Maintain sufficient soil moisture to keep plants growing well.

Nutritional facts

Chard packs a huge amount of vitamin A and it is naturally high in sodium. One cup chopped chards contains Vitamin C 32 mg, Folate 15 mcg, Calories 35
Protein 3 grams, Carbohydrates 7 grams, Calcium 102 mg, Iron 4 mg among other goodies

Creamy Swiss Chard Soup

A lot of the puréed soups I make start off the same - throw them with some flavoring ingredients and pressure cook, then mush it up manually or using a food processor/blender; to thicken it, i either use a simple roux or potato flakes or, as in this case, some heavy cream.

This is same as my usual spinach soup, just substituted spinach with Swiss chard. The main difference is that I added some heavy cream here which I leave out usually. Even though it is subtle, the two greens' - viz., spinach and swiss chards - taste quite different. I happen to like them both :)

Ingredients
1 bunch swiss chards
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 jalapeño or serrano chilies, chopped
1 Tbsp Madras curry powder
1 tsp brown sugar
salt to taste
1 Tbsp oil
½ cup heavy cream

Preparation

wash the greens and roughly chop them; combine the greens, onions, chilies and garlic with a pinch of salt in a pressure cooker, add just enough water for the pressure cooker to work, cook till mushy

when cool enough to handle, purée the mushed veggies in a blender

heat oil in a soup pot, add the curry powder and let it bloom, then add the purée, adjust salt to taste and let it simmer gently till thickened a little

stir in the heavy cream, adjust flavors as needed

Serve warm with home-made corn bread or rolls.