Healthy Slow Cooker Brown Lentil Side Dish / Misal Pav ( Matki Usal)

This is one of those healthy yummy simple dishes which you can make for a party ahead of time...will be loved and talked about by everyone for a long time :)

Ingredients: For 8-10 large servings

• Dried Moth bean - 3 cups
• Onion - 1 chopped
• Tomato - 1 chopped
• Red Chili Powder - 1 table spoon (adjust per taste)
• Coriander Powder - 1 table spoon
• Cumin Powder - 1 table spoon
• Ginger Paste - 1 table spoon
• Garlic Paste - 1 table spoon (optional)
• Garam Masala Powder - 1 table spoon
• Salt - 2 table spoons (adjust per taste)
• Coconut oil - 1 tea spoon
• Water - 8-10 cups

For Garnish:

• Onion - 1 finely chopped
• Cilantro - 1 cup finely chopped 
• Lemon - 2 table spoons (optional)

Method:

Add all the ingredients above except for the ones to garnish in a slow cooker/crock pot.  Put it on high for 8-10 hours.  How do you know it is done??  House will smell divine and of course the moth beans will be cooked all the way through :)

Garnish and serve hot with bread, pav, roti or it tastes really good by itself.

Spicy Udon Noodles

My daughter loves any kind of noodles.  I saw some fresh Udon noodles in Asian super market and had to get it home.  This recipe is very quick, easy and tasty!!

Ingredients:

• Udon Noodles - 1 pound cooked (follow the instructions on the packet)
• Mixed Vegetables - 1 cup (I used frozen carrots, peas, corn and beans)
• Basil leaves (optional) - 6-8 leaves crushed roughly
• Salt - 1 tea spoon (adjust per taste)
• Chili Garlic paste - 1 table spoon (you can buy this in any super market)
• Olive oil - 1 table spoon
• Chicken (optional) - 1/2 cup shredded - I did not use it

Method:

To a pan on medium heat, add Olive oil.  Once the oil is heated, add the mixed Vegetables.  Saute and cover the lid till cooked.  This takes about 5-10 minutes depending on how finely you have chopped the vegetables.  Add the Udon Noodles, Basil leaves, Salt, Chili Garlic Paste and Chicken (Chicken is optional) saute well till the Noodles take on all the moisture and flavor.  Serve hot with some pot stickers!!

 

Quick and Easy Angel Hair Pasta with Roasted Vegetables and Chicken

We moved to our new home a few weeks back and I was dying to try my new oven.  I got some veggies from a local organic farm and tossed up some simple pasta with that.  Made some Chicken along to add the protein.  A complete, tasty and satisfying meal!!

 

Ingredients:

• Vegetables of your choice for roasting  - I used Brussel sprouts, Zucchini and Asparagus - chop them mostly into same size to aid roasting at the same time
• Chicken - 2 pounds - Cut into portion size - This is optional if you want to keep the meal vegetarian
• Angel hair pasta - 1 pound
• Olives - about 1/4 cup - I used an assortment of pitted and pickled Olives
• Feta Cheese - about 2 OZs - cut into small cubes
• Pesto - 2 tbs - I got the Organic freshly made from the store
• Salt - 1 table spoon - add per taste
• Freshly crushed black pepper - 1 table spoon - add per taste
• Olive Oil - 4 table spoons

Method:

 

For Roasted Vegetables:

Take a flat non stick oven tray and spread the vegetables evenly on one half and Chicken pieces on the other half..  Drizzle it with about 2 table spoons of Olive Oil and Salt.  Preheat the over to about 350 deg F (this might differ depending on the size and type of oven you are using).  Use the roast setting if available.  Once the oven is preheated, place the oven tray with vegetables and Chicken inside.  Roast it for about 20-30 minutes until you can see the vegetables and Chicken turn golden on the edges.  Take the tray out and sprinkle it with some pepper.  You can also sprinkle it with some lemon salt or rosemary salt.  Be mindful that both these contain Salt already.

 

For Pasta:

In a large pot, bring about 8 cups of water to boil.  Add some salt.  Add the pasta once the water comes to boil.  Follow the instructions on the pasta package for how long to cook it.  I like it al-dante. So, it took about 8 minutes.  Drain the pasta and keep aside.  In another bowl large enough to toss the pasta, add 2 table spoons of olive oil, Feta Cheese, Pesto, Olives, Salt and Pepper.  Toss the pasta you kept aside gently with these.  Serve it Luke warm with Roasted Vegetables and Chicken.

 

 

 

Quick and Easy Paneer/Indian cottage cheese Stirfry

There is a saying "Laughter is the loudest where food is the best"!!  Very true I think, specially when good food is easy and quick to make.  This recipe is one of the more flavorful, crispy and fingerlickingly satisfying.

Ingredients:

• Paneer - 1 pound - Cut into bite size pieces (You can substitute Paneer with firm Tofu)
• Onion - 1/2 cup - Sliced thin
• Garlic - 3-4 cloves - Sliced thin
• Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon
• Red Chili powder - 1 table spoon (adjust per taste)
• Red Chili flakes - 1 tea spoon
• Coriander powder - 1 tea spoon
• Cumin powder - 1 tea spoon
• Salt - 1 table spoon (adjust per taste0
• Olive oil - 1 table spoon

Method:

To a non stick pan on medium heat, add the Olive oil.  Once the oil is heated, add the Garlic and Onion and saute till onions are browned.  Add Paneer/Tofu.  Saute until the Paneer/Tofu crisps up.  This will take about 8-10 minutes.  Now, add all the dry ingredients and mix till all the Paneer/Tofu pieces are well coated.
Serve this hot by itself or with rice or roti.  I served it with some yogurt and Pita Bread.  My daughter loves it as a roll.

Udad dal vada/ Medu Vada/ Savory Fried Lentil Dumplings

Urad dal vada or medu vada are very popular in south Indian households.  We make them for breakfast or as an evening snack.  Most of the times, it is paired with Idly.  Best served with hot spicy Sambar and coconut chutney. 

Ingredients:

• Urad dal/Split black gram - 2 cups
• Black pepper corns crushed - 1 tea spoon (add per taste)
• Green Chillies finely chopped - 1 tea spoon (add per taste)
• Cilantro finely chopped - 2 table spoons
• Onion finely chopped - 2 table spoons
• Kalounji / Nijella seeds - 1 tea spoon
• Salt - to taste
• Baking soda - 1 tea spoon
• Cooked rice - 2 table spoons
• Hing / Asafoitida powder - 2 pinches
• Oil to fry - 3 cups

Method:

Soak the Urad Dal over night.  Drain all the water and grind it fine with cooked rice.  Add very less water while grinding.  Adding more water makes the dough to soak in more oil while frying.  The consistency should be like the bread dough or a little looser.  Now, add all other ingredients and mix well. 

Heat oil in a deep frying pan to medium high.  To make sure that the oil is ready to be fried in, add a little of the prepared dough.  If the dough rises to the top, then the oil is ready.  Now, wet your left palm with water or oil.  Take about 2-3 tablespoons of the dough and place it on your left palm.  Form a hole in the center with your right hand finger and now slide it slowly into the hot oil.  Be very careful while doing this as the oil can splatter on you.  The form of the vada should look like a tiny doughnut.  The hole in the center is made not only so that it looks pretty, but also for even cooking.

Lower or turn the heat for oil to make sure that you do not burn the dough.  It needs to be fried on even heat until cooked and friend golden.  Turn the dough a couple of times to ensure even frying.

Now the crispy yummy urad dal vada is ready to be served.  You can serve it with Sambar and Chutney.  You can also soak the vadas in some yogurt for about 3-4 hours to make Dahi-vada.