Methi Aloo ( Fenugreek leaves and potatoes)

                                                Methi Aloo ( Fenugreek leaves and potatoes)



With so many options of the greens that we can have, fenugreek leaves, is an old time favorite of the  Punjabi north Indian household. As soon as  the winters start setting in northern India, the vegetable vendors start carrying gorgeous bunches of these beautiful green leaves to sell.

I saw my grandmother and my mother picking these every week  to make various dishes from it to add variety  the vegetarian fare that they dished out day after day. Even if it meant 1 hour of laborious plucking the leaves of the stems to get them enough to chop.

When sold as a vegetable in India the young plants are harvested with their roots still attached and sold in small bundles in the markets and bazaars. As these are taken fresh from the soil along with the roots, the bunches require a thorough  soaking and cleaning with running water. The process had to be repeated multiple times to have a satisfactory, non muddy and ready to cook appearance.

 These leaves have a slightly bitter taste so by sautéing them they lose that bitterness and add a distinct flavor which is favorite of many and yes this is an acquired taste.



 On surfing the internet I was pleasantly surprised that it is used  by many other countries such as Turkey, Egypt and Yemenite Jews following the interpretation of Rabbi Salomon Isaacides, Rashi, believe fenugreek, which they call hilbeh, hilba, helba, or halba  is the Talmudic Rubia . They use it to produce a sauce also called hilbeh, miniscent of curry. It is consumed daily and ceremoniously during the meal of the first and/or second night of Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) which is being celebrated this weekend!

 Ingredients

2  bunches of  fenugreek leaves removed from the main stem and chopped finely and cleaned under water ( as these cook they release water and hence reduce in quantity by 1/3 of original put quantity )

2 medium sized potatoes  small cubed

2 cloves of garlic chopped finely

2 small green chillies slit lengthwise deseeded if you want it to be less spicy...I add it with the seeds!
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4th tsp dry coriander powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp  or salt to taste

11/2 tablespoon vegetable/ canola oil


In a non stick  wok shaped pan put oil and heat it. Add garlic and green chilies and cumin seed, salt and fry for two minutes as soon as the garlic starts to brown add the red chili powder and the in 30 seconds add the chopped potatoes give them a stir for two minutes and add the fenugreek leaves

 

 

 

 

Keep the mix on a low flame and keep stirring. Do not cover the vegetable, as steaming it with a covered lid will result in a more bitter taste.
In about 20 to 25 minutes your vegetable will be ready when it looks like the pic on the top  and when all the water has dried. Pls see the pics to show you how the leaves reduced!.... Hoping you enjoy!

                                                       RAMBLINGS TO MYSELF

 

Sitting on my favorite side of my soft cushiony couch, legs up and folded sideways, with my laptop, resting partly on my lap and on the cushion which is right next to my left  side, I try to quiet down my stream of thoughts which seems to be barreling through random portions of conversations of various people to give me an insight to my questions. I scramble frantically to hold on to these insights which seem too be to eager to escape my stranglehold ! There is s tussle within me to let them go or to lock them up in a deep space of my consciousness but try as I might they seem to just slip away. Leaving me, with a whole day of introspection and the allusion of being part of something wonderful though disquieting. Can I pen these down? Can I dare to reveal my heart? And then there is a voice telling  me emphatically, "NO".

My fingers click on the my Facebook account and out jumps a quote posted by a friend stating "A woman cannot change the man because she loves him , man changes himself because he loves her". This drives the my thoughts into an overdrive because I so want to write that why are you expecting a change when you loved him the way he was? have you not changed in the years you have lived with him? why the expectation or the thought that he changes to love you? Have you, not been disappointed enough, with these expectations?

Expect, but to, change yourself and  not anybody else! You can only work with the material that you have in hand. And what or who, do you have ? You and yourself! You are not a canvas that you need others to fill the colors to make you vibrant but a whole being with senses and the mindfulness to sculpt your inner being. Whenever you will look outside of yourself with expectation,  you will be disappointed. You were born alone . The man you met after 20 or 25  years was not born with you. So how can you and him accommodate each other without friction and discomfort.


 A man and woman can sculpt a stone to ones whim but not a livewire and a lively material like you or him! So exist, live, love and nurture yourself and the people you come in contact with but without expectation of a change. The sooner you reconcile yourself to this fact the easier would this journey be!

Time to rustle up a heartwarming north Indian dish! its going to be lunchtime soon so the soul has been nourished now this physical being!





 



                                       SHAHI PESHKASH (ROYAL OFFERING)

 

 

SHAHI PESHKASH (ROYAL OFFERING)

Coming from a very warm part of the globe, as kids, we were offered milk based drink laced with the flavors of the dried fruit that were the offering of the rich agricultural land of India. Our elders encouraged milk, to be consumed, three times of the day! Weekends and  hot summer vacations were spent in the house of our grandmother who specially made the below to give us our daily dose of dry fruits and keep us cool and protected from the heat of the blazing sun.

If you see all the below were soaked over night in cold water and it was said that soaking transferred the coolness or eliminated the heat from these dry fruits...This is all hearsay but you could look up the benefits of the all the ingredients below and see how nutritious this is!

4 cups milk for 4 servings
20 -25  almonds soaked overnight
Pinch of dried saffron overnight with 1 tsp of sugar
15 pistachios
20 golden raisins soaked overnight
4 tsp of sugar
2 tablespoon honey

Take all the ingredients with 6 cubes of ice in a blender and blend for a minute  and voila! the royal offering ! sweetness can be adjusted to taste!

You can chill it more or less according to individual preference.

 

                                      AZUKI ( MOOTH) BEANS AND VEGETABLE SALAD


A lot of you will be curious about the ' Azuki ' beans. These are beans very common to East Asia .Very commonly known as 'dal mooth' in India. These are a powerhouse of vegetarian nutrition loaded with proteins, iron , folic acid, potassium, magnesium and fiber among a whole list of other nutritional value. As we age, and we tend to become more aware of fitness and healthy eating because our body starts protesting in various ways to highlight our misuse. So, I whipped up this very healthy recipe, for all salad lovers! When you are young, the metabolism can take a beating but not when you are aging and its slowing down.

AZUKI BEANS BOILED AND FRESH SPINACH LEAVES

 

 

AZUKI BEANS, SPINACH, SWEET CORNS, SQUEEZED LEMON

 

ORANGE BELL PEPPER

1. Two cups Azuki beans boiled in salted water
2. Fresh spinach leaves
3.  1 Orange bell peppers chopped
4. Fresh boiled corns 1/2 cup-3/4 cups
5. 1  lemon
6. Feta cheese
7. black pepper

 



The Azuki beans were soaked overnight . The water was the drained and then replenished with fresh water in a pressure cooker. Add 1 black cardamom and salt and the boil.

The beans are done in two whistles . The water level in the Pressure cooker should only be two inches above the beans .

Pls stain the water from the beans and keep then to cool. This water can be added to any vegetable as a broth...just remember its salted!

 

Once cooled add the above listed ingredients and toss. Your healthy salad is ready! enjoy

 

 



 

 

I do not know how many of you have a seen an internationally acclaimed Bollywood movie "Lunchbox". A lot of you will be wondering why am I talking about a movie in my food blog. This movie shows a typical Indian household in where the wife's achievement, recognition and self esteem rests in her husband praising her food. Whereas, this very facet was completely missing and it was a function that was taken for granted.

An Indian households functions on cooking three hot meals a day! So being inventive, with three meals, boils down to being a  mini chef . This entails stock taking, ingredient planning, cost effectiveness, and managing. Its a routine, without  change. You have to be completely be aware of the existing market prices on poultry, spices, vegetable to ensure that the budget of the household is not overshot for the month. Also, a creative genius, to create different taste from some same seasonal vegetables where frozen vegetables is still a struggle because of everyday power cuts.

The above control, execution and management goes unnoticed and unappreciated by the male members of the household . So when three meals are an everyday feature for 365 days you need to be a finance genius if you can save, eat healthy and fresh food on very limited income and rising prices! So kudos to the millions of women globally who are the unsung  creative managers of all times! 



And now a healthy vegetarian recipe that I made today for lunch !



MUSHROOM,PEAS AND EGG MEDLEY

Ingredients

2 cups of fresh or frozen peas
6 sliced mushrooms
2 boiled eggs
1 large tomato
5 cloves of garlic
1tesapoon turmeric
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil ( no cholesterol a must on the nutrition list)
2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
salt to taste
1/2 cup sour plain yogurt

Heat the oil in a non stick pan. When it is hot, add the cumin seeds and garlic. They will sputter immediately if oil is hot . The moment you see a light brown color on the seeds add the coriander powder, salt and the turmeric. Give it a stir .
 After 1 min add the Peas, 1/4 cup water and tomato and cook till soft then add the mushrooms and the egg and give it a stir for 2 minutes. Add the yogurt and stir it for 1 min and your dish is ready.

BHUNNA KEEMA MATAR (MINCE LAMB WITH PEAS)

Its a bright Sunday and the ritual in our house is to make some heartwarming ,north Indian, non vegetarian dish, which is soul stirring. North Indian food, comprises of,  slow cooking the meat to perfection. The recipe below has been perfected with trial an error to get it just right - color, texture and meat/ vegetable mix to tempt the most hardened foodies.

Ingredients

450 grams/ 16 oz. mince lamb ( washed/cleaned in a strainer with very fine mesh)
2 large red onions chopped finely
2" ginger finely grated
2 small green chilli sliced 
6-8 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 medium size golden potato small cubed
2 fistful of peas
2 cups of tomato puree/ three large tomatoes
3 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 bay leafs
3 teaspoon coriander powder
3  tsp garam masala
2 teaspoon red chilli powder
3 tablespoon of vegetable oil/ olive oil ( for frying)
Salt to taste

In a large non stick pan heat the oil. When hot add the cumin seeds and the moment they start sputtering add the ginger, garlic and onions and fry . Once the onions are looking pink and translucent add the coriander powder and keep stirring till you smell the aroma arising out of the mixture and the onions turn a light golden color. Add the garam masala, salt, green chilli , red bell peppers, potatoes and red chilli powder and stir for a minute and then add the tomato puree and give it a stir for 7 mins to this add your washed mince meat  and two cups of water and stir . Put the lid on and let the mixture get steamed. Keep stirring over medium to low flame for 20- 25 mins till you see oil separating from the mix and the mix is semi dry...It will be ready to eat with roti/ parantha , pav bread or garlic bread.