Mustard Greens and Lentils

I’ve heard a lot of people complain that being a vegetarian is an uphill task. I completely understand.

I know what they mean: they have to be on the job 24/7. Especially if they are cooking for a family and are in charge of the kids diets, they have to be particularly watchful about incorporating different kinds of vegetables in many different dishes, so that the kids are tempted to eat their veggies.

You know by now that I am a big fan of vegetables. I love all kinds of veggies. My idea of a wonderful weekend is a visit to a well stocked produce store. And I invariably buy all my vegetables fresh. The only frozen veggies I buy are green peas.

I love the multitude of greens we get here in the US and so I usually pick up a couple of new ones each week – it allows for variety. Greens are not only good for you, they are also good for your wallet. A bunch of greens usually cost around $2 and it makes a dish that feeds a family of 4! This week I came home laden with mustard greens because they looked so fresh.

Mustard greens are stuffed with nutrients. They have 9 vitamins, 7 minerals, dietary fiber and protein. Best of all, they are a unique source of 3 notable antioxidants: Vitamin K, Vitamin C and Vitamin A. They are known as nature’s free radicals scavenger. Mustard greens are wonderful for children and adults who have asthma. The vitamin C in the greens help them breathe easier. The greens are also particularly helpful for women’s health. They are laden with calcium, B6 and phyto nutients. Read more about Mustard Green’s nutritional value here.

I made a mustard green and lentil combo dish that tasted deliciously smooth and buttery, even though it had no butter. It was also extremely quick and easy to make and is not at all spicy, so the kids will enjoy it too. Serve with brown rice and some salad and you have a healthy and complete meal cooked in just 30 minutes. Yeah! Rachel Ray, I can cook a meal in 30 minutes too.

As usual, this recipe uses just one teaspoon oil for the entire dish, so you have an entire meal for a family of 4 made with just 1 teaspoon oil.

Here is what you need:
1 bunch mustard greens
1 cup yellow lentils (tuvar dal)
2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder

To garnish:
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1 habanero or jalopeno (chopped fine)
1 tsp olive oil

Here is how you make this:
Wash and boil the lentils in 2 cups of water until soft. Add more water if necessary. When the lentils are cooked, add the chopped mustard greens, turmeric powder and salt. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until the greens are also cooked. Remove from the stove.

Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Wait until they crackle and add the cumin seeds. Brown for 10 seconds and add the chopped habanero. Fry crisp. Add the asafoetiday powder. Remove from stove and pour the garnish over the lentil and mustard green dish.

Serve hot with brown rice and salad. (If you make brown rice side-by-side in another stove, your entire meal is ready in 30 minutes!)

Pongalo Pongal!

It is harvest time in India. A year of hard work has paid off in a golden harvest of rice. This is the rice that will keep the entire village fed for the next year. The paddy is harvested, hulled and stored with great care. And the entire village celebrates. So do the towns and big cities. It is Pongal time!

A time for abundance. A time when joy permeates. A time for celebration. A time to cook newly harvested rice with newly harvested sugar cane that has been made into jaggery – Pongal! The very word “Pongal” means to overflow in abundance.

In India, this is my favorite time of the year. The weather is cool’er’ and the urchins on the street are happier. The kids roll the old bicycle tire with a stick for entertainment and generally run around begging for bits of sugar cane to chew on. In return, they’ll run small errands for the teenage boys – pass the love note to the pretty girl next door with compliments from the “anna” (elder brother) who gave them the bit of sugar cane in exchange. The pretty girl takes the note, reads it, casts a sidelong glance and a shy smile at the pimpled teen boy while briskly shooing off the urchin to hide her embarrassment. Love is in the air! Joy is in the air. And Pongal is upon us.

This year, I decided to make Pongal with brown rice. I am guessing that in the ancient days they used to make Pongal with brown rice before the rich made it fashionable to eat refined white rice. My husband and I love the texture of brown rice. It certainly doesn’t hurt that it is an unrefined carbohydrate and known to be better for health than eating white rice. All in all, it is a happy addiction.

Here is my recipe – shout “Pongalo Pongal” as you make this, so the Gods shower you and your family with wealth, prosperity and good health.

Here is what you need:
1/3 cup split yellow moong dal
2/3 cup brown rice
1 1/2 cups powdered jaggery (available at any self-respecting Indian grocery store)
2 1/2 + 1 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk or 2% milk

To garnish:
3 tbsp butter
25 cashews chopped
25 golden raisins
1 tsp cardamom powder

Here is how you make this:

Heat a pan on medium to low heat and toast the moong dal until light brown and aromatic. Remove from stove and now toast the rice for about 5 minutes on a low setting. Remove from stove. Place the rice and dal together in a dish. Add 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil or pressure cook. Cook until tender and set aside.

In another pan, place the jaggery and 1 cup water and bring to a roiling boil until the jaggery melts and become syrupy. Now add the cooked rice and moong dal and 1/2 cup milk. Simmer.

Heat butter in a pan until melted and bring it to a boil. Now take off the stove and cool a bit for about 5 minutes. Place it back on the stove on medium heat and add the chopped cashews. Fry until golden brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted ladle. Now add the golden raisins in the same melted butter and fry for just about 20-30 seconds until they puff up. Remove the pan and pour the melted butter and golden raisins on the simmered Pongal.

Add the powdered cardamom and mix well. Garnish with fried cashews.

Seeing Red!

I love vegetables and so have never had a doctor advising me to eat more veggies. One of my favorite vegetables is the ubiquitous cabbage, so hated by many. I can guess why so many people hate the cabbage;  I can even empathize with them; I think it comes back to my pet peeve – overcooking. Overcooking cabbage brings out its horrible smell and makes the texture unpalatable and unappetizing. In addition, it loses its nutrients. It is a lose-lose proposition all round.

I have read a lot about the benefits of eating colored vegetables, the deeper the color, the more the nutrients. Red cabbage in particular is known for its phytonutrient content and is also particularly beneficial for women’s health – especially in the prevention of breast cancer. It has an inordinate amount of Vitamin K, C, Folate, B6 and dietary fiber, promotes gastro-intestinal health and has cardio-vascular benefits.

Seems to me that eating what I love to eat anyway, is real winning solution! So when I go vegetable shopping, my shopping cart always has a head of green cabbage and a head of red cabbage. I made a red cabbage dish the other day. This is one the easiest dishes to make, especially when you are in rush and want to have something healthy at hand for your family’s meal.

Here’s how:

You will need:
6 cups finely shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup cranberries (you can substitute with raisins)
3 tsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red chili powder

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Wash and drain the shredded red cabbage thoroughly. Take care to air dry it until most of the water is gone. Toss it with Olive oil, salt and chili powder. Now add the walnuts and cranberries. Bake for 10 minutes (no more than 10 minutes so that it doesnt get overcooked).

Serve with whole grain bread, or with whole wheat rotis, or as a salad. Simply yummy and very healthy!