Poppy Seed Loaf with Dried Cranberries

My Dad and his lovely girlfriend treated me to a visit recently to celebrate my birthday last month. I am a bit late posting this recipe but certainly this loaf is worth waiting for. They stayed for a few days and the first day I prepared a vegetarian feast. Along with this bread, I made Nigerian Baked Beans, my famous Caesar Salad, baked potatoes served with sour cream and chives, and Jasmine rice with butter and fresh cracked black pepper. I like to cook and I love to treat my friends and family to my dishes. There is just no comparison between home-cooked meals and restaurant meals. When my family and friends are visiting or live in London, they are always invited to visit my vegetarian kitchen.

Moist, with a tart lemon flavor and a hint of sweetness, this easy-to-prepare poppy seed loaf will go well with most meals, or can be enjoyed for brunch, lunch, or as a late night snack.

Poppy Seed Loaf with Dried Cranberries

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on April 13, 2012 Moist with a tart lemon flavor and a hint of sweetness, this easy-to-prepare poppy seed loaf goes well with all kinds of meals Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/4 cup poppy seeds 3/4 cup whole milk 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup sugar 2 large eggs juice of 1/2 lemon 2 cups spelt or unbleached white flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries Instructions: Combine the poppy seeds and milk in a small bowl and soak for 30 minutes. Preheat an oven to 350° and grease a 9 × 5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar and 1 egg. Beat well with an electric hand mixture. Now add the other egg and lemon juice and beat until smooth. Stir in the poppy seeds and milk. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and dried berries and stir until combined. Transfer to the wet ingredients and stir until just moistened. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for ten minutes and remove from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 1 9-inch loaf

More poppy seed treats from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Poppy Seed Muffins
Gluten-Free Honey, Lemon, Poppy Seed Cake
Indian-Style Poppy Seed Wafers
Poppy Seed Cheese Biscuits

On the top of the reading stack: Ayn Rand

Audio Accompaniment: birds chirping

Mung Beans, Toor Dal, Green Beans and Fresh Dill Palya

Palya, also known as poriyal, are dry curries that are a very popular addition to South Indian meals. Fresh, with a subtle blend of flavors, this wholesome dish is certainly one that I would recommend to grace your dinner table. Traditionally, a full course South Indian meal starts with a sambar, followed by a rasam, along with a side dish or two such as this one and rice and perhaps a flatbread.

Bursting with a fine balance of flavor, I've adapted this rather unique dish from Mysore Style Cooking: The Secret Recipes of Mysore, India by V. Sandlhya. I have written about this beautifully illustrated and lovely cookbook before and it truly is a treasure. Strictly vegetarian and inspired by her families well-guarded recipes, Sandhya has a home-based restaurant where she serves yogis. All of the recipes are "ayurvedically correct" featuring creations from the Mysore region. Designed to encourage peace of mind, good health and spiritual progress, those who want simple but nourishing ideas for South Indian dishes will certainly want to get this book. A wide range of recipes for legumes, grains, vegetables, chutneys, breads and sweets are offered up along with helpful introductions and meal suggestions.

This is my submission to My Legume Love Affair, a popular monthly event started by lovely Susan of the Well Seasoned Cook and hosted this month by the creator. Be sure to send off your offerings to Susan.

Mung Beans, Toor Dal, Green Beans and Fresh Dill Palya

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Mysore Style Cooking: The Secret Recipes of Mysore, India Cuisine: Indian Published on April 11, 2012 A dry and lightly-spiced fresh-tasting dal and vegetable curry from south India Print this recipe Palya: 5 tablespoons dried whole mung beans, rinsed 5 tablespoons toor dal, rinsed 5 cups water 8 oz (225 g) green beans, trimmed and chopped 1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped sea salt to taste Tempering: 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds 3 dried red chilies, broken into pieces 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon asafetida generous handful dried curry leaves 3 tablespoons grated coconut Instructions: In a large saucepan, add the water, mung beans and toor dal. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the beans are softened, about 20 - 30 minutes. Now add the green beans, dill and sea salt. Stir and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so, taking care not to overcook the green beans. They should still have a bit of crunch to them. Drain the beans, set aside, and reserve the cooking water. The cooking water can be used as a broth in other dishes. For the tempering, heat the oil in the same pan over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds. Stir and fry until they begin to turn grey and splutter and pop. Now add the chilies, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, asafetida, curry leaves and coconut. Stir for another minute and then add the cooked beans and vegetables. Stir and fry for another few minutes and serve hot. Makes 4 servings

More South Indian dishes you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Beetroot Palya
Cabbage Poriyal
Spicy Lentil Rasam
Mung Bean and Tamarind Dal

On the top of the reading stack: Ancient Grains for Modern Meals: Mediterranean Whole Grain Recipes for Barley, Farro, Kamut, Polenta, Wheat Berries & More by Maria Speck

Almond Clafouti with Blood Orange

I don't know why I don't make clafoutis more often, when variations of the traditional French country baked fruit pudding are so easy to make and the results have such a wonderful cake-and-custard texture and the rustic charm of the simple flavors of milk, flour and eggs. I suppose that there's so many ideas for food that it's easy to forget about one while exploring others, until something reminds me again. Fortunately that reminder showed up in the form of a recipe for an almond-peach clafouti while browsing through the latest cookbook to arrive on my shelves, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals by Maria Speck. I will have much to say about this informative and beautifully illustrated cookbook in the coming months as I explore the recipes and information contained between the covers.

I love the idea of adding almond flour to a clafouti for its wonderful marzipan-like fragrance and the toothsomeness it adds to the pudding's texture. And I also liked the convenience of baking the clafouti in a glass pie plate rather than the customary earthenware dish. But peaches aren't in season around here right now, while on the other hand it's a great time for citrus fruits from the southern United States. So I've adapted the recipe from the book to use colorful segments of blood orange as well as using honey for a sweetener. And the results? The blood oranges burst into your mouth with a sweet and tart pop, surrounded by a creamy and aromatic pudding cake. Absolutely wonderful, and the clafouti disappeared in one sitting.

This recipe is so easy to make, you can put it together after a meal while everyone's food is settling. On the other hand, you can make it an hour ahead of the meal and keep it at room temperature. If you don't have almond flour — also known as almond meal or simply ground almonds — on hand, it's easy to make at home too. Simply grind 1/3 cup of blanched (skinless) almonds with 1 teaspoon of white sugar in a coffee grinder or food processor until finely ground, sifting the results to add clumps back into the grinder (sugar is added to absorb the oil from the almonds in order to prevent clumping). You may also want to consider serving this clafouti for a sweet weekend breakfast.

Almond Clafouti with Blood Orange

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals: Mediterranean Whole Grain Recipes for Barley, Farro, Kamut, Polenta, Wheat Berries & More Cuisine: French Published on April 9, 2012 A simple cake-and-custard like baked pudding made with fragrant almond meal and tart blood oranges Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup whole milk zest from 1 blood orange 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 large eggs, room temperature 1/2 cup honey 1/3 cup almond flour 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 2 blood oranges   butter and almond flour for brushing and dusting icing sugar (optional) Instructions: Preheat an oven to 375°. Butter a 9-inch glass pie plate or 1-quart (1-liter) casserole dish. Dust with almond flour and tap out the excess. Whisk together the whipping cream, milk, zest and vanilla in a small bowl. In a large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs together until blended. Pour in the honey, whisking as you go along, until the honey is blended and the mixture thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Continuing to whisk, pour in the cream and milk mixture, followed by the almond flour and beat until smooth. Finally, add the all-purpose flour and whisk until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pie plate or casserole dish. Peel the blood oranges and remove pieces of the membrane around the segments. Scatter the segments in the batter. Bake in the preheated oven until the clafouti is puffed and golden-brown around the edges, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out just clean, about 30 minutes if using a pie plate — adjust for a slightly longer cooking time if using a casserole dish. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool and set for 15 minutes. Serve warm, with a dusting of icing sugar if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Other baked fruit puddings you may enjoy:
Rum Plum Clafouti
Cherry Pudding
Lemon Sponge Pudding

Hotel Idli Sambar Recipe | Tiffin Sambar - Side Dish For Idli Dosa Pongal

I know most of u know & make the hotel sambar at home.Even I too posted an idli sambar with toor dal long time back which learnt from my MIL.It tastes similar to the hotel ones. But I should say this is the exact recipe for restaurant style sambar. I got this recipe from Aval vikatan’s supplementary.Yesterday I tried this for my guests. My guests liked it so much,I was showered with compliments and they were asking for the recipe. Thanks to Mrs. Revathy shanmugam for this yummy hotel kind of recipe. It tastes mildly tangy with more of dal,less spicy and u can even drink this sambar . You can use this as basic Tiffin sambar recipe for making sambar vada,Mini idli sambar etc.It’s a great side dish for Idli,dosa recipes.My friend Jayarani gave me a tip recently. She told me to add pumpkin instead of jaggery and she also suggested me to use drumstick. Yes, as she told adding pumpkin gave a mild sweetness and drumstick gave a nice flavour.I have updated the recipe adding them. Do try this ,I am sure u’ll get the exact taste as in most of the restaurants.It goes well with idli , dosa , Venpongal and vada.Check out this recipe for another version of hotel sambar if interested.
Check out my MINI IDLI SAMBAR RECIPE too.

Hotel Idli Sambar Recipe

Hotel Idli Sambar Recipe - Restaurant style Tiffin Sambar Recipe

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Side dish

Serves: Serves 4

Prep time: 15 Minutes

Cook time: 15 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 200ml Toor dal OR Moong dal – 1/3 cup Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Cooking Oil – A drop Pumpkin – 4-6 pieces ( cube sized) Drumstick – 1 no ( Chop into small pieces) Vegetables ( Carrot & potato) – If needed. Tamarind – 2 seeds (approx. very small gooseberry size) To roast and grind Cooking Oil- 1 tsp Dhania / Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp Chana dal – 2 tbsp Red chillies – 6 nos Methi seeds – 1/2 tsp To temper & saute Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Urad dal –1tsp Jeera / cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Red chillies – 2 nos (pinched) Curry leaves – a few SSP Asafetida/Hing – few pinches Small onion - a cup Tomato – 1- 2 nos Sambar powder – 1/2 tsp Coriander leaves – to garnish Jaggery – 1 tsp ( Add if u don’t use pumpkin) Ghee – 1 tbsp

METHOD

Soak tamarind in warm water for 20 minutes and take the extract. Set aside. Peel the onions and chop the tomatoes. Pressure cook the dals with turmeric powder, pumpkin pieces and a drop of oil.Mash and set aside. Cook drumstick and other vegetables separately and set aside In a kadai roast all the above said ingredients and make it a powder.   In the same kadai , add oil and temper all the items in the same order.Now add the sambar onions and saute till transparent. Then add the tomatoes ( crush it with ur hands before adding , this makes the sauting process faster ) and required salt. Saute till tomatoes turn mushy and juicy. Add the tamarind extract , raw pinched curry leaves , hing, sambar powder and turmeric powder. Allow to boil till the onions get cooked.Now add the mashed dal,cooked vegetables ( if using) and the ground powder. Mix well so that there are no lumps. Boil for few minutes. It will thicken. Add more water if necessary . Switch off the flame add garnish with coriander leaves. Last but not the least , don’t forget to add a tbsp of ghee & Cover it with a lid until u serve..  Enjoy with idli,dosa and pongal!

Note

U can use the combination of moong dal and toor dal in equal quantities and make this sambar.. Adding pumpkin gives a sweetness to the sambar . So no need to add jaggery or sugar. If u don’t add pumpkin use either jaggery or sugar while sambar boils.. Make this sambar atleast 3-4 hours before serving because all the tastes blends well .U can reheat it while serving. For variations , u can add a tbsp of grated coconut while roasting the powder ingredients and powder them.. Tastes great the next day with full aroma !!

ENJOY THIS SAMBAR WITH SOFT IDLIES.CRISPY DOSA & VEN PONGAL !!

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Green Beans with Baby Potatoes, Collard Greens and Olives

I adapted this recipe from River Cottage Everyday Veg by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Although perhaps better suited to summer time meals, this hearty and vegetable-packed dish is really perfect anytime of the year. We need our veggies and, served alongside Black-Eyed Pea and Quinoa Croquettes, you are in for a good dose of nutrition and one fine meal.

This beautifully illustrated and informative cookbook will satisfying any craving for vegetable based dishes. The array of vegetables and combinations has already become an important resource when I am brainstorming for healthy and tantalizing recipes to grace my table. Though the author is not a vegetarian, each and every recipe is suitable for a vegetarian diet and vegans will also find many satisfying meal ideas.

If you want a vegan version of this dish, simply omit the Parmesan cheese.

Green Beans with Baby Potatoes, Collard Greens and Olives

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from River Cottage Everyday Veg Published on April 7, 2012 A warm, satisfying and delicious healthy salad, packed with layers of wonderful flavors Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 pound red baby potatoes 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and sliced 1 bunch (1 pound) collard greens, trimmed and chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (optional) 1/2 cup Kalamata or black olives, pitted and chopped 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese juice of 1 lemon sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste Instructions: Scrub the potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Put them in a large heavy-bottomed sauce-pan along with enough water to cover, and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Add the green beans and collard greens and cook for another 5 minutes. Drain and return to the pan. In small frying pan or saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Toss in the garlic and stir and fry for a few minutes. Now add the asafoetida (if using) and olives, and stir and fry for a minute. Remove from the heat. Transfer this mixture to the pot with the potatoes, green beans and collard greens. Add the lemon juice and Parmesan and season with more salt if desired and some fresh cracked black-pepper. Toss lightly to combine. Serve warm. Makes 3 - 4 servings

Other potato dishes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen you will likely enjoy:
Scalloped Potatoes with Coconut Milk and Mushrooms
Tamarind Potatoes
Paratha Stuffed with Sweet Potato and Potato
Cheese Potato Puff with Dried-Mushrooms

On the top of the reading stack: Kafka

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Bhakri Recipe & Masala Dal - Ajwain Paratha

I saw this in jaya tv’s “Anitha vin samayal”. I found it simple and healthy.I gave a try. It was excellent in taste. We loved it. I have made it thrice so far. Thanks to Mrs.Anitha kuppusamy .  She used ghee in the actual recipe but i used oil..Please go through the recipe.

BHAKRI

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

Wheat flour – 1 cup Jeera – 1 tsp (OPTIONAL) Ajwain – 1.5 tsp Salt & water – As needed. Oil – 1 tbsp ( She told to use 2 tbsp of ghee)

METHOD

• Take a broad bowl and mix all the ingredients given above.Knead well .
• Make rotis and cook on tawa drizzling little ghee or oil around it.
• Enjoy with masala dal or any kurma of ur choice !!

MASALA DAL

INGREDIENTS

 1 cup - 200ml

Toor dal –1/8 cup Masoor dal – 1/8 cup Moong dal – 1/8 cup Channa dal – 1/8 cup Black gram dal – 1/8 cup Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Salt & water- as redq To grind Coriander seeds -  1 tbsp Red chilly -  4 nos ( She told to use kashmiri red chilly for nice color.But i used normal ones) Jeera / cumin seeds – 1 tsp Ginger – one inch piece Garlic – 7 – 8 cloves or (replace with ginger garlic paste) Cinnamon – 1 small stick Cloves -  3 nos Pepper – 8 nos Saunf – !/2 tsp (optional) Water – as needed. To saute Oil – 1tbsp grated onion -  2 nos tomato – 2 nos Coriander leaves – to garnish

Method

• Pressure cook all the dals together with little turmeric powder and a drop of oil.
• Grind all the ingredients given under “ To grind” by adding little water to make a smooth paste.
• Heat oil/ghee in a kadai and  add the items given under saute.Saute till the tomato mushes. Then add the ground paste and saute till the raw smell emanates.
• Add the cooked and mashed dals and add enough water and salt.
• Let it boil for sometime. Please keep the medium flame and cover the kadai while it boils otherwise it splashes everywhere.
• Add water whenever needed. Allow it to boil for 5-10 mins.
• Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves

Serve hot with rotis /Phulka or paratha !!.

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Goan Egg Curry with Tamarind and Coconut

If you enjoy Indian spicy egg dishes, you will for sure want to try this one. Spices, sweet tamarind and coconut come together to make a delightful gravy that smoothers the egg with goodness. Local farm fresh eggs were used in this dish. What a treat and a great deal for $2.00 a carton.

I adapted this recipe from 1,000 Indian Recipes by Neelam Batra. I do enjoy cookbooks with illustrations, but I can ensure you that the quality of the offerings more than make up for the absence of gorgeous shots. Not strictly vegetarian, but no matter, as this thick volume of delights is sure to please those who prefer not to have meat on their plate. I know of a few fellow food lovers who enjoy this cookbook as much as I do. When stuck for a dinner plan, I often find myself flipping through the pages. Great ideas from throughout India. There are many easy Indian recipes that you will find to inspire your cooking and helpful ideas for homemade spice blends, condiments, appetizers, soups, salads, sides, vegetables, cheese, eggs, legumes, curries, rice, breads and desserts, in addition to meat dishes and beverages. Now, I don't eat meat, but if I did, this would be an ideal book to consult. Menu suggestions are also informative as is the glossary. Surely this is one of my most treasured cookbooks and I enjoy adapting the recipes to suit my preferences. The exploration continues … good eats.

Goan Egg Curry with Tamarind and Coconut

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from 1,000 Indian Recipes Cuisine: Indian Published on April 4, 2012 Hard-boiled eggs simmered in a creamy, tart and spicy gravy Print this recipe Ingredients: 8 large eggs Paste: 2/3 cup dried unsweetened coconut 1 clove garlic 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder 2/3 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon cloves 1 star anise 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pinch of asafoetida Curry: 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 green chilies, seeded and minced 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp 2 1/2 cups water 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut milk handful of fresh parsley, chopped Instructions: Place 6 of the eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for two minutes. Remove from heat, cover the pan, and let the eggs sit for 10 minutes. Plunge the eggs into a bowl of cold water, then peel and cut lengthwise. Set aside. In a food processor or blender (I used my trusty Magic Bullet), combine the ingredients for the paste and add a few teaspoons of water. Blend until you have a relatively smooth paste, adding more water if necessary. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or wok over medium heat. When hot, toss in the onion and fry for 5 - 6 minutes or until it turns a golden brown. Stir in the chilies and the spice paste, and fry for another 5 minutes. Add the tamarind, water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the sauce is smooth. Now add 1/2 cup of coconut milk and simmer for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly beat together the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut milk and the remaining 2 eggs. Add this to the curry, stir, and simmer until the eggs come together, about 2 - 3 minutes. Finally, add the hard-boiled eggs and gently simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve hot and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Makes 4 - 6 servings

More Indian egg recipes you are sure to enjoy from my kitchen:
Egg Pakoras
Eggs Vindaloo
Shahi Egg
Egg Masala Curry in a Spicy Tomato Gravy

On the top of the reading stack: cookbooks featuring grains

Audio Accompaniment: Vic Chesnutt