Chickpeas Smothered in a Tangy Tomato Gravy

Tender and plump chickpeas really need no introduction as far as I'm concerned. Even my comrades who profess not to like beans can be persuaded to enjoy them. And they present so many possibilities to the cook. Now, as should be clear from even a quick look at my blog, I adore spicy food so it's no wonder that I should be especially smitten with spicing them up. When I cook them, I always boil up more than I need for the dish as I can never resist snacking on them just as they are while I complete my dinner prep.

I tend to eat small meals throughout the day, but this longtime favorite dish is one that I am tempted to eat just a bit more than maybe I am accustomed to at one sitting. But so long as I am not too stuffed, I don't feel guilty in the least. Despite its relative simplicity, or perhaps because of, it's a signature dish that I have perfected over the years. If you like a thick and spicy chickpea curry with a tangy and tart flavor, consider this as a meatless alternative to your usual fare or another recipe to add to your vegetarian or vegan repertoire. Give this one a try. You won't be disappointed.

Chickpeas Smothered in a Tangy Tomato Gravy

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on April 5, 2013 Tender chickpeas simmered in a thick, rich and tangy spiced tomato gravy Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups chickpeas (3 1/2 cups cooked or 2 14 oz cans) 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric 3 tablespoons ghee or oil 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped 2 to 3 black cardamon pods, crushed 2 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped a few handfuls of dried curry leaves, crushed 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon amchoor powder 1 teaspoon garam masala 1 teaspoon chat masala 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pinch of asafetida 3 large tomatoes, partially seeded and finely chopped handful of fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped juice from 1 lime (2 tablespoons) 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste fresh ground black pepper Instructions: Rinse the chickpeas and soak for 8 hours or overnight in several inches of water. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a large saucepan and cover with several inches of fresh water. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the turmeric and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour or until the chickpeas are tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid, and set aside. Wipe the saucepan dry and add 2 tablespoons of the ghee or oil. Heat over medium heat, then add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and stir for 30 seconds or until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to splutter and pop. Add the ginger, cardamon and chilies to the pan and continue to stir for another 2 minutes. Add the curry leaves, ground cumin, amchoor powder, garam masala, chat masala, chili powder, cayenne, asafetida and the remaining turmeric. Stir once, then add the tomatoes. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the tomatoes thicken, stirring occasionally. Add the chickpeas and the reserved cooking liquid, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water as necessary or desired. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of ghee or oil, most of the parsley or cilantro, and lime juice. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Serve hot or warm, and garnish each portion with some of the remaining chopped parsley or cilantro. Serve with fresh hot cooked basmati rice, a vegetable dish and some homemade chapatis. Makes 6 servings

More chickpea recipes you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:
Avocado Chickpea Hummus
Chickpeas with Mushrooms
Shredded Paneer with Tomatoes, Chilies, Mushrooms and Chickpeas
Tamarind Chickpeas

On the top of the reading stack: Savory Pies: Delicious Recipes for Seasoned Meats, Vegetables and Cheeses Baked in Perfectly Flaky Pie Crusts

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Chia Seed Pudding

I've been hearing a lot about the benefits of chia seeds lately, one of the latest "superfoods", but until recently I had yet to try them although they have long been a traditional food in some cultures, so they might best be considered an ancient superfood.

My best friend Basil had a bag of them that was passed on by a co-worker and he thought that I might be interested in coming up with a recipe. Surely I was but, well, with my distracted attention span combined with Basil's, those little gems nearly went to the grave with us. We didn't forget about them, but Basil forgot to bring them to me when he visited and I forgot to remind him to send them home with me when I visited. Finally they arrived back in my kitchen and I went with a simple custard-like pudding that turned out even better than I imagined. I suppose you may describe the dish as tapioca-like. The chia seeds puff up into little pearls as they soak, contributing a pleasing texture to this vegetarian and vegan-friendly delight. It might not be the prettiest pudding you'll eat, but one of the most delicious I've had in a long time.

It makes for a fine breakfast because it's not too sweet, but it's also a lovely dessert to end any meal. If you are going to enjoy the pudding for breakfast, I would suggest getting the soaking process started before you go to bed — it won't take long.

The benefits of chia seeds are well known at this point, I suppose, although for many of us the once trendy chia pets might be the closest acquaintance with chia. It's all fun to grow a furry house plant but eating the seeds is even more enjoyable. Chia seeds fill you up without excess calories as they are digested slowly because of their glutinous gel-like consistency. Gluten-free, chia seeds interact with digestive enzymes helping to slow the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar, helping to control blood sugar, while they are also apparently a good source of omega-3, fiber, iron, calcium, protein, vitamin C, potassium and antioxidants, to name just a few of the perceived benefits. If you are new to chia seeds, start with a few teaspoons and gradually increase your consumption. Like many other foods, the key is moderation though — you don't need to sprinkle them on everything you eat throughout the day.

Chia seeds are commonly used as an egg replacer and are an excellent and delicious addition to soaked breakfast grains, smoothies and puddings such as this.

Chia Seed Pudding

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on April 2, 2013 Simple, tasty, nourishing and not-too-sweet, easy-to-digest vanilla chia seed pudding made with almond and coconut milk Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 cup chia seeds a few handfuls of raw cashews, broken into pieces 1 1/2 cups almond milk 1 cup coconut milk 3 to 4 tablespoons agave or maple syrup, to taste 3 teaspoons vanilla extract dried unsweetened coconut and fresh blueberries for garnish (optional) Instructions: Combine the seeds, nuts, almond and coconut milk. Cover and let soak in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Stir in the agave or maple syrup and vanilla, and serve garnished as desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings

More healthy breakfast ideas from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Anooshavoor (Turkish Barley and Apricot Porridge)
Oat Mango Smoothie with Blackberries
Breakfast Quinoa Porridge

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PEPPER PULIYODHARAI | MILAGU PULIYODHARAI

I wanted to try this recipe for long time.. I usually follow my MIL’s method for making tamarind rice / puliyodharai .. It comes out very well. This time i tried the same recipe with pepper .As i mentioned in my pepper idli post , my hubby is very much fond of pepper dishes.. So i tried this pepper puliogare on my own.. It came out very well. It had a nice flavour of pepper in it. I packed it for my hubby’s lunch box. He liked it very much.. There is no much difference in the method and the ingredients..U can prepare the paste the previous night and make the rice the next day. Adjust the amount of pepper powder based on ur taste.This paste stays well for 1 week even without refrigeration.Also i feel for puliyodharai , mixing the paste in raw rice or boiled rice tastes well more than basmati.Add few tsps of sesame oil / gingely oil while mixing the rice & paste to get the additional flavour and taste..As we all know , this rice is apt for travel too..

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml

Serves 2 people

Rice – 1/2 cup ( Raw rice or boiled rice) Tamarind -  Medium gooseberry size Jaggery – A small piece Salt , water – As needed To roast & grind Oil – 1/2 tsp Methi seeds – 1/2 tsp Pepper corns – 1 tsp Channa dal – 1 tsp Hing/Asafetida -  A big pinch To saute Gingely oil – 2 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Urad dal – 2 tsp Channa dal – 1 tbsp Red chillies – 2 nos (pinched) Curry leaves – few Hing /Asafetida-A pinch Crushed Pepper powder – 1.5 tsp Sesame oil /Gingely oil – 1 –2 tbsp

METHOD

Pressure cook the rice and spread in a plate adding a tbsp of gingely oil..Let the rice cools down and becomes fluffy.. Soak tamarind in warm water for 20 minutes and take the extract adding 2 cups of water. Heat gingely oil in a pan and temper mustard , urad , channa dal , red chillies , curry leaves , hing..Saute well. Now add the tamarind extract , salt , turmeric powder , little hing and curry leaves.Allow to boil well . In the middle add the jaggery. Add 1/2 tsp of oil and roast the ingredients given under “To roast&grind”.Roast till the pepper corns splutter.Powder them and set aside. When the tamarind extract reduces to half in quantity , add the roasted & ground powder. After u add the powder , give a boil. The mixture thickens..Let it roll boil well for few seconds. After u get salangai satham ( gala gala sound) ..switch off the flame.. Finally add the crushed pepper powder in the paste , mix well..Set aside..Tamarind paste is ready.. Mix the required paste in the rice adding gingely oil..

Note

• If u want more spicy , add more pepper powder at the end..

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No Croutons Required - The Winner for March

The challenge for March was to come up with a raw soup or salad. All of the submissions were mouthwatering, but we do have to crown a winner. Congratulations to Ingrid of Kitchen Tales of Sugar and Spice who entered this month with an elegant and unique Ajo Blanco. I'm certainly looking forward to trying a raw version of a Spanish classic.

Jacqueline will be hosting the April 2013 edition of No Croutons Required. Check back at the beginning of the month for the theme.

Tomato Mint Chutney Recipe - Side Dish For Idli Dosa

I got this recipe from Mallika badrinath’s chutney varieties book.I tried for idli , dosa. It tasted great for both. We loved it very much and i have included this chutney in our routine side dishes..Its very simple. It uses little coconut though. The color of the chutney may vary depending on the amount of tomatoes u use. If u use more tomatoes , red chillies and less mint leaves , it will be on the reddish shade as u see in this picture. I have tried adding more mint leaves, green chillies and less tomatoes too.It comes out in green color.But whatever may be the color , its tastes  . Do try this recipe , u’ll love it for sure !!
Check out my coconut mint chutney/Pudina chutney too.

Tomato mint chutney recipe

Tomato mint chutney recipe -Yummy side dish for idli,dosa

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Side dish

Serves: Serves 2

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 15 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 200ml Tomato – 2 nos (Big) Mint leaves – 1/2 cup Small onion – 10 nos OR Big onion – 1 no Tamarind – 1 small piece (soak in little water) Green chilli Or Red chilli – 5 -7 nos Grated coconut – 1 tbsp Urad dal – 3/4 tbsp Cooking oil – 1 tbsp Salt & water – As needed To temper Cooking oil – 1 tsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Hing – 2 pinches

METHOD

Wash the mint leaves , chop tomatoes roughly , peel the onions and slit the green chillies. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and roast the urad dal,chillies ( I used green + red chilli) till dal turns golden brown.Before switching off the flame,add the coconut , mix well and remove in a plate.  ( I sauteed tomato,onion ,mint leaves in the same pan in low flame) Again add 2 tsp of oil and add the small onions , tomatoes , mint leaves and saute them together till tomato turns mushy.Allow it to cool. Grind everything together adding the tamarind , salt and water.Now temper the mustard seeds and hing and add to the chutney. Serve with idli , dosa !! Enjoy !

Note Adjust the amount of green chillies as per ur taste.Coriander leaves can be used instead of mint leaves .Also red chillies can be used in place of green chillies.

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SHARJAH SHAKE RECIPE – SUMMER DRINKS

Sharjah shake is nothing but banana milkshake which is commonly found in kerala juice shops & bakeries..I came to know about this drink from my neighbour. She makes this very often for her sons during summer.She suggested me to try once.As I had some ripe banana lying in the pantry i tried this milk shake ..We loved it. It tasted slightly different from the usual banana milkshake.Not only the taste , but also the color .. Addition of boost and Chikki/Cashew/Badam makes the difference here.One more important thing in this recipe is , it uses frozen milk cubes .It can be made in jiffy and adding ice cream is optional ..It comes out thick without adding ice cream.It is a refreshing and a filling drink too....Adjust the amount of sugar based on ur liking..Do try this, u’ll fall in love with it

INGREDIENTS

Frozen Milk – 2 cups (400 ml ) Ripe small size banana – 2 nos ( 3 if very small) ( use poovan , kadili . I used yelakki) Sugar – 1 tbsp Peanut chikki – 2 small pieces (optional) Almond or cashews – 5 nos Boost / Bournvita / Chocolate Horlicks – 1- 1.5 tbsp

METHOD

Take 2 cups of milk and freeze it well.. In a mixie jar, chop and add the ripe banana , sugar , peanut chikki or cashew or badam and boost/bournvita. Break the frozen milk with a rod and add as small cubes to the mixie jar.Grind everything well till it becomes frothy. Serve in a glass !!

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Miso Mushroom Risotto

Hearty chunks of moist delicious oyster mushrooms embellish this simple, delicious and vegan-friendly Asian-style risotto cooked in an earthy miso and vegetable stock and seasoned with just a little cayenne and rice vinegar to give it a wonderful little kick. Delighted by such a gourmet risotto experience, your guests will never guess just how easy it is to make.

Oysters are a wonderfully fragrant and flavorful mushroom to use in this kind of risotto, but shiitakes or any other full-flavored mushrooms will make a lovely dish as well — even white mushrooms will make a pleasing risotto. Similarly, white or "shiro" miso lends this risotto a light golden color and just a delicate hint of sweetness, but other more pungent misos can be used to good effect, although you may wish to reduce the amount slightly if using a red or hatcho miso.

Miso Mushroom Risotto

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Asian / Italian Published on March 29, 2013 Simple, delicious and vegan-friendly Asian-style oyster mushroom risotto cooked in an earthy miso and vegetable stock Print this recipe Ingredients: 4 cups vegetable stock 3 tablespoons white (shiro) miso paste 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 cups oyster or shitake mushrooms, sliced 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed 1 bunch green onions, green and white parts, sliced 1 cup dry unwashed arborio or other risotto rice 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1 tablespoon rice vinegar sea salt to taste (optional) 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (optional) Instructions: Heat the vegetable stock in a saucepan to a gentle simmer and stir in the miso paste until dissolved. Reduce the heat to low and keep on a gentle simmer. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, garlic and the white parts of the green onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains. Add a 1/2 cup of the miso vegetable stock and the rice vinegar, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Continue to add the miso vegetable stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until the liquid is absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. Repeat this process until the stock is used and the rice is cooked but still slightly chewy. The risotto should be creamy. Season with salt if desired (the miso is quite salty itself) and remove from heat. Serve hot or warm garnished with the green parts of the green onions and a scattering of toasted sesame seeds if desired. Makes 4 servings

Other risottos from my kitchen you may enjoy:
Spicy Azuki Bean Risotto
Baked Mushroom Risotto
Lemon Risotto with Leeks and Mushrooms

On the top of the reading stack: RawEssence: 165 Delicious Recipes for Raw Living

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