Curried Carrot and Lentil Soup with Cashews

Inspired by the most recent edition of No Croutons Required, featuring carrots, I decided to simmer up this most wholesome carrot soup inspired by Anna of Diary of a Lady Bird. We all know that carrots are one of the most nutritious of vegetables, containing lots of beta carotene that aid eyesight and overall health. Easy to grow in your backyard, and such a tasty treat raw or cooked, this has always been a staple ingredient in my crisper. Such a delight to fill the soup out with lentils and spices and cashew nuts. I served it with quinoa for an especially satisfying and nourishing meal. I imagine the addition of some fresh or preserved pumpkin would be quite a delight combined with the following ingredients.

Curried Carrot and Lentil Soup with Cashews

4 - 1/2 cups of vegetable stock
1 400 ml can of coconut milk
2 pounds of carrots, grated or finely chopped
1 1/4 cups of red lentils, rinsed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2/3 cup raw cashews, broken into bits
1 tbsp of vindaloo paste
1 - 2 chili peppers
dash of turmeric
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/2 c chopped coriander (cliantro) or parsley, leaves and stems
1/2 c greek-style yogurt of kefir (optional)
chopped coriander leaves or parsley for garnish
sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

In a large pot, bring the vegetable stock and coconut milk to a boil. Add the carrots and lentils, reduce to heat to medium low and cover and simmer until the carrots and lentils are tender - roughly 10 - 15 minutes.

While the carrots and lentils are cooking, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cashews. Stir and fry until the onion is soft and the cashews begin to brown. Stir in the vindaloo paste, chopped herbs and ground spices. Stir and fry for a minute or two. Transfer to the pot with the carrots and lentils.

Blend the soup with a hand blender or in batches in a blender or food processor. Simmer for another few minutes, add the salt and pepper and serve. Garnish with parsley or coriander and add a dollop of yogurt of kefir if desired and a sprinkling of red chili flakes.

Serves 6.

Other vegetable soups from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen you will be sure to enjoy:

Curried Indian Vegetable Soup
Indian Chickpea and Pumpkin Soup
Spicy Mung Bean Soup with Coconut Milk

On the top of the reading stack: Field Guide to Herbs & Spices: How to Identify, Select, and Use Virtually Every Seasoning At the Market

Audio Accompaniment: Le Onde by Ludovico Einaudi

NARTHANGAI / KOLINGIKAI PACHADI

I am a big fan of this pachadi..I learnt this from my MIL.She makes it very nicely. . Thanks to my MIL for preparing this just for me …Here comes the ingredients with a picture ..

INGREDIENTS :

• NARTHANGAI or KOLINGIKAI – 2 NOS
• Tamarind – Big lemon size
• Salt – 2-3 tbsp
• Jaggery – 1 tbsp
• Water – As needed.

To temper :

• Cooking Oil – 3 tbsp
• Mustard seeds – 1 tbsp
• Urad dal – 1 tsp
• Hing /Asafetida– 1/2 tsp
• Green chilly – 15 – 20 nos
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig

To dry roast & grind :

• Fenugreek seeds – 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
• Asafetida – 1/2 tsp

Method :

• Soak tamarind in warm water for half an hour and extract the juice from it.
• Slice the narthangai or kolingikai into concentric circles and cut into small cubes by removing the seeds.
• Make sure u deseed properly becoz it may induce bitterness.
• In a kadai dry roast the methi seeds till golden brown and Grind it to a fine powder along with turmeric powder & hing.
• In the same kadai add 3 tbsp of oil and temper mustard seeds , urad dal , curry leaves , slit green chilly and 1/2 tsp of hing in the same order.Saute very nicely such that the skin of the green chillies gets shrunken & change into white color .
• In a cooker vessel take the narthangai pieces , tempered items & tamarind extract , salt , powdered items, jaggery & required water(add the water to cover the narthangai completely).
• Pressure cook and remove..( If u feel there is excess water , allow it to boil for sometime..)

Enjoy with curd rice :)

NOTE : We dont get naarthangai all round the year but we easily get kadaarangai and kolingikai .So follow the same procedure and make pachadi with these veggies ..U can see the picture of narthangai below :)

Yogurt Cornbread

Inspired by my Black-Eyed Pea Salsa, I decided to make this yogurt cornbread that I adapted from The Best Quick Breads by Beth Hensperger to serve along with it. Ms. Hensperger has lots of wonderful ideas for cornbread, along with other great ideas for quickbreads. This is a book I will continue to explore and I highly recommend it. This is a nice moist cornbread, with a bit of a kick because of the addition of jalapeno peppers (my addition in place of orange zest which is called for in the original recipe).

Yogurt Cornbread
1 cup of cornmeal
1 cup of unbleached white flour or spelt flour
2 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 Jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
a dash of cayenne pepper
2 large eggs
1/4 cup of buttermilk
1 1/4 cups of yogurt or kefir
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted

Generously butter an 8 inch cake pan and set aside.

Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, jalapeno pepper and cayenne in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, yogurt and butter. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the bread. Let sit for 15 minutes and cut into wedges and serve.

More cornbread recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Classic Cornbread
Cornbread with Black Olives and Jalapeno Peppers
Jalapeno Cornbread

On the top of the reading stack: Encounter by Milan Kundera

Audio Accompaniment: Relative Silence

Carrot Sambar Recipe For Idli

I started to make this sambar recipe for my daughter when she was a kid.. Its a great way to make my daughter eat this vegetable. I make it less spicy as per my baby’s taste. Its a good side dish for Idli, dosa with a nice aroma and mild sweetness of carrot. This sambhar can be served for rice if you add little more tamarind. You can make it as a no onion no garlic version by skipping onion, garlic in this recipe. I have shared those points in Notes section.Try this for your family .I am sure they will love it. Lets see how to make this healthy carrot sambar recipe for Idli ,dosa.
Check out my other Idli Sambar Recipes HERE.
42 Chutney varieties
15 Idli varieties

Carrot Sambar Recipe

Healthy Carrot sambar for Idli dosa

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Side dish

Serves: Serves 2-3

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 200ml Carrot – 2 nos Toor dal + Moong dal – 1/2 cup Sambar onion – 10 nos OR Big onion – 1 no Sambar powder – 1.5 tsp Tamarind – Small gooseberry size Asafetida / Hing – 2 pinches Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Salt & water – As needed. To Temper Oil – 2 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp Tomato – 1 no Garlic flakes – 5 nos Curry leaves – A few To garnish Coriander leaves - few

METHOD

Wash & peel the skin of carrot. Chop into slices.Chop the big onions into small cubes. If using small onions, peel the skin and set aside.In a pressure cooker, take dal, few curry leaves, a tsp of ghee and turmeric powder adding 2 cups of water. Take the sliced carrots in a small bowl, no need to add water.Place it inside the cooker. Cook for one whistle in low flame. Open the cooker & mash the dal.Remove the carrot bowl.  Heat oil in a kadai and when it gets heated , season with mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves. Add onion, garlic cloves and saute until it turns transparent. Add tomato pieces and saute until mushy. Add the tamarind extract, hing, salt, sambar powder , turmeric powder and salt.Boil well for few minutes. Add cooked carrot slices and dal. Mix well and roll boil for 2 minutes.Adjust the consistency of sambar by adding required water. Garnish with coriander leaves.Transfer the sambar to a vessel and add a tbsp of ghee. Enjoy with hot Idli, dosa !!

Note

To make this sambar for rice, add medium gooseberry sized tamarind and use 1 slitted green chillies along with onions.Do not add more tamarind. Sambar will become too sour. SKIP onion garlic and make it for festivals.  You can also add potato cubes along with carrot slices. For variations, skip tamarind and use 3-4 tomatoes. You can use either toor dal or moong dal alone.

  Enjoy this healthy, yummy sambar with Idli, dosa !

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Herbal Giveaway

I am excited to announce that I am hosting another giveaway. Kroeger Herb Company recently treated me to some of their herbal products, and now my readers have a chance to win their choice of two of these products by commenting on this post — and an additional chance to win if they subscribe to Kroeger's newsletter. Just leave a comment for a chance to win any two of the Evening Primrose Oil, Healthy Gut, Milk Thistle or Liver Formula products made by Kroeger Herbs. Let me know in your comment which two products you would prefer and also if you have subscribed to the newsletter. Two winners will be chosen at random. I will host this giveaway until Sunday, the 5th, of September. Please note this giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the US only.

Milk Thistle is a complete concentrate that is recommended for liver health. Complete concentrates such as this are made without using harmful additives or unnatural ingredients and are produced through a proprietary process of water and or alcohol extraction. An additional bonus is the vegetarian source capsules.

Healthy Gut is a new herbal product offered by Kroeger and this combination of Camomile, Spearmint, Gentian, Marjoram, Wintergreen, Slippery Elm and Meadowsweet soothes the tummy and helps the body to maintain a healthy digestive system. Again, this product is made with vegetarian source capsules.

Lung Formula aids healthy lung function. This herbal combination consists of Garlic, Rosehips, Rosemary, Echinacea and Thyme. This product is gluten free, contains no yeast, wheat, corn, rice or preservatives. I again will note that the capsules are vegetarian friendly.

Evening Primrose Oil is something I have been taking for years along with flax seed oil to help with menstrual cramps and also to boost my daily dose of essential amino acids. It is also helpful for women going through menopause and for healthy blood pressure and high cholesterol. Other ingredients include Vegetable Cellulose, Beeswax, Mixed Tocopherols.

I encourage you to check out the other products offered by Kroeger to go along with a healthy diet.

Whole Cabbage Stuffed with Coleslaw

If you want to impress your dinner guests, then you simply must try this coleslaw that is served in a hollowed out cabbage. Adapted slightly from one of my favorite Indian cookbooks, Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Yamuna Devi, you would surely not go wrong if you brought this to a potluck or picnic. I was inspired to make this for a friend who had a hankering for coleslaw as he had fond memories of coleslaw from his childhood. It is not necessary to serve the coleslaw in the hollowed out cabbage, but I could not resist the presentation.

I particularly like this salad not only because it is a bit spicy, but also because it does not contain mayonnaise, as most traditional coleslaws do. If you want a coleslaw with a twist, then this is the recipe for you.

This is my contribution to this month's No Croutons Required Challenge, if I am not too late! The theme this month is carrots.

Whole Cabbage Stuffed with Coleslaw

1 large cabbage (savoy or any large green or red cabbage
4 medium carrots, shredded
3 hot green chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh dill, chopped (or fresh coriander)
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1/2 cup of yogurt or kefir or buttermilk
1/2 cup of heavy cream
juice from 2 fresh limes
2 tablespoon of ghee or sesame oil
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds

Trim the rough leaves from the outside of the cabbage and cut off the base so the cabbage sits flat. Cut off the top third of the cabbage with a large knife and set aside. Hollow out the center of the cabbage and shred enough of the cabbage to roughly equal the shredded carrots (nibble on the remains of the raw cabbage- it's good for you).

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, chilies, ginger, dill and salt and pepper. Toss well to mix.

In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt and the cream. Continue to whisk and pour in the lime juice. When the dressing is creamy, pour it over the carrots and cabbage.

In a small frying pan or pot, heat the ghee or oil over medium heat. When hot, toss in the black mustard seeds and fry, stirring occasionally, until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to pop. Pour the fried seeds into the salad and toss well. Scoop as much of the salad as you can into the cabbage shell and serve cold or at room temperature. Any remaining salad can be served in a separate serving dish.

Serves 6 - 8

You might also enjoy Creamy Coleslaw from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen

Other summer salad recipes you might wish to try:
Mexican-Style Potato Salad With Avocado and Jalapeño
Quinoa and White Bean Salad with Wasabi and Roasted Asparagus
Lazy Summer Cottage Cheese & Fruit Salad
Potato Salad with a Blue Cheese Dressing

On the top of the reading stack: Encounter by Milan Kundera

Audio Accompaniment: Bach, a light rain, and no doozers

Black-Eyed Pea Salsa

This unusual chunky black-eyed pea salsa is a delicious medley of flavors and textures, with the soft and earthy black-eyed peas combined with tangy tomatoes, sweet crunchy corn, black olives and a blend of fresh herbs and spices. Try it with nacho chips or alongside fresh cooked homemade cornbread for a unique and tasty summer meal.

Black-Eyed Pea Salsa

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Mexican Published on August 16, 2010 Unique chunky salsa with earthy black-eyed peas, tangy tomatoes, sweet corn, fresh herbs and spices — a delicious medley of flavors for serving with nacho chips Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup dried black-eyed peas (3 cups cooked or 2 14 oz cans) 1 small red onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped 1 medium tomato, seeded and finely chopped 2/3 cup cooked corn 1/2 cup marinated sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped 1/2 cup black olives, chopped 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped juice from 3 limes (1/3 cup) 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon ground cumin pinch of chat masala (optional) pinch of cayenne 1/2 teaspoon sea salt fresh cracked black pepper to taste Instructions: Rinse the black-eyed peas and soak for 6 hours or overnight in several inches of water. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium saucepan and cover with several inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the beas are soft. Drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Combine the other ingredients with the black-eyed peas and gently mash a portion of the salsa with a potato masher or fork. Taste for seasoning. Serve with nacho chips or toasted pita wedges, or refrigerate and serve within 1 to 2 days. Makes 3 cups

More black-eyed pea recipes from Lisa's vegetarian kitchen:
Black-Eyed Peas with Herbs and Spices
Black-Eyed Peas with Fresh Dill
Curried Black-Eyed Peas

On the top of the reading stack: Pan by Knut Hamsun

Salem Thattuvadai Set/Nippat Sandwich

Thattuvadai set is a most popular street food in Salem,Tamilnadu.Being a Salem girl,I used to have this snack at least once in a week before my marriage.Last week i went to my mom's place and bought few thattuvadai set for my family.I captured the making at that time and added a video here.I asked the guy about the chutney ingredients.He told the recipe roughly & he said this chutney stays good only for 3 hours.So make it fresh and serve.Based on his recipe,i tried it on my own. It came out well. If u buy a packet of readymade thattu vadai , making this set would be very easy and quick. But I prepared everything by my own including thattu vadai. So i found it a bit time consuming. Finally i was very much satisfied with the outcome

Salem Thattu Vadai Set Recipe

How to make Salem special thattu vadai set with video !

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Sweet

Serves: Serves 4

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

FOR GREEN CHUTNEY Mint leaves - 1/2 cup Coriander leaves – 1/2 cup (optional,He told to use only mint leaves) Green chillies – 2 nos Tamarind – Small berry size OR use few drops of lime juice Salt & water – As needed. FOR RED CHUTNEY Cooking oil - 1 tbsp Tomato - 3 nos Red chilly – 5 nos Salt – as needed Water – As required. Roasted gram – 1 tbsp (pottukadalai),optional FOR FILLING Finely chopped onions – as needed Grated carrot – as needed Grated beetroot - as needed ( i din't use as it was out of stock) Chopped coriander leaves – a handful Grated mango - as needed ( used during mango season) Lemon – 1/2 no

METHOD

Saute the tomato,red chilly adding salt in a tsp of oil.Grind it to a thick paste adding required water.Add pottukadalai/fried gram if u wish.You can also saute one big onion and 4 garlic cloves along with tomato. Prepare the green chutney by grinding all the ingredients given under “ Green chutney” to a fine thick paste. Grate the onions,carrots,beetroot and chop coriander leaves.Mix well and set aside.Cut the lemon and keep it ready. Take 2 thatta vadai/Nippat for making one set.Apply red chutney on one side of thattai and green chutney to one side of other thattai. Keep little filling in between like a sandwich.Sprinkle lemon juice and close the sandwich. Serve immediately. I enjoyed it with coffee :) Enjoy !

Fresh Cherry Buttermilk Scones

Cooks who enjoy sweet and savory treats can never have enough recipes for biscuits and scones. I probably make such quick breads at least once a week. I couldn't resist taking advantage of the cherry season and I whipped up a batch of these for friends and family. They certainly did not last long. The only drawback is the laborious task of pitting the cherries, even though I have a cherry pitter. Make sure you don't wear a white shirt when working with these most delicious of fruits, or at least you might want to wear an apron.

Fresh Cherry Buttermilk Scones

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from The Best Quick Breads: 150 Recipes for Muffins, Scones, Shortcakes, Gingerbreads, Cornbreads, Coffeecakes, and More Published on August 8, 2010 Simple, moist and delicious buttermilk scones with fresh sweet and tart cherries — great for breakfast or snacks Print this recipe Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups unbleached white or spelt flour 1/4 cup rolled oats 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 cup fresh chopped cherries 1 large egg 3/4 cup buttermilk 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla Instructions: Preheat an oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter into the mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until the butter resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the cherries and make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk and vanilla. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Knead a few times and shape the dough into 1-inch rounds. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, leaving an inch between each scone. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on a baking rack and serve. Makes 12 scones

Other quick breads you will be sure to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Whole Wheat Blueberry Tea Biscuits with Dried Cherries
Cherry Blueberry Muffins
Cherry Vanilla Ricotta Muffins
Raisin Cranberry Tea Biscuits

On the top of the reading stack: Pan by Knut Hamsun
and
The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo

Audio Accompaniment: Quiet City by Pan American

Here is an image of our street under construction a few weeks ago during the weekend when we had a downpour. What a mess. Thankfully, the doozers take the weekend off as that gives us a break from the noise at least.

Roasted Beet Salad with Pistachio Pesto and Goat Cheese Served over Fresh Arugula

This is a flavourful summer salad that I came across recently in a newspaper. I didn't wait long to make it, as beets are one of my favorite vegetables and though it was a hot and humid day, I went ahead and roasted the beets anyway. I can tell you that my kitchen was certainly extremely hot, as was I. It was worth the effort though, and this unique dish is really rather simple to prepare. I enjoyed it on the deck with my sweetie in the evening when it wasn't so blistering hot. I also had an opportunity to share some with a special friend who simply adores beets too.

Roasted Beetroot Salad with Pistachio Pesto and Goat Cheese Served over Fresh Arugula

3 pounds of beets, trimmed and unpeeled
1 tablespoon of olive oil
juice from one small lemon
a generous bunch of fresh arugula
4 Clementine oranges, peeled and separated
300 grams of goat cheese, cut into pieces or slices

For the pesto:

1 cup of shelled pistachio nuts
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley
2 tablespoons of fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
juice from one lemon
1/2 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of water

In a preheated oven, at 400 degrees, roast the beets until fork tender - roughly 60 - 90 minutes depending on the size of the beets. Let the beets cool until you can handle the without burning your fingers . Peel and slice into small rounds. Toss the beetroot with lemon juice and olive oil.

To make the pesto:

Place the pistachio nuts, parsley, mint, sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a food processor. Blend until you have a coarse mixture. Now add the lemon juice, olive oil, and blend. Add roughly 1/4 cup of water and blend until you have a pesto that you can drizzle over the beets.

Arrange some of the arugula on plate, top with beets and pieces of the orange. Top with some goat cheese and then drizzle with pesto and serve at room temperature.

Serves 6 - 8.

Other beetroot recipes you may enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Beetroot rasam
Haloumi, Beetroot and Greens Dressed with Tahini and Lemon
Beetroot and Quinoa Salad with Feta and Olives

On the top of the reading stack: The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo

Audio Accompaniment: construction, as usual!