Beet and sprout salad

This is a yummy salad, but needs a bit of prior preparation

Ingredients

Poha (flat rice available at the Indian grocery stores) 2 cups
Tamarind paste ¼ teaspoon
Mung beans ½ cup
Grated beetroot 1 cup
Raw peanuts ¼ cup
Salt To taste
Lemon/ Lime juice To taste

Rinse Mung beans, tie in a damp cloth or leave in a dish with a little water overnight, so that they sprout.
Soak the raw peanuts in salt water for a few hours, then drain the water, and set aside.
Remove skin and then grate the beetroot (beets), save the juice to add to the salad or drink it (it is yummy!)
Dissolve the tamarind paste in a very small (¼ cup or less) amount of water.
Rinse the poha, drain water completely. To this, add the tamarind paste. It should not become watery. Mix well.
Now add the grated beets, mix.
Add the soaked peanuts, mix
Add the mung sprouts, mix gently (don’t break the sprouts by vigorous mixing)
Sprinkle lemon/lime juice when serving.

You can always replace mung with other sprouts like garbanzo, and add grated carrot, but I have found that grated beets, tamarind and salted raw peanuts are a must for the great taste.

Vegetarian Black Bean Chili

Gopal found this link and forwarded it to us. Thanks Gopal! It looks like it's going to be delicious!

Pecan Sandies

Pecan Sandies

I found these wonderful cookies in the Kripalu Cookbook by JoAnn Levitt. They are easy and quick and tasty without being too sweet.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole pecans
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a blender or food processor, finely grind the pecans and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer until fluffy.
Add the syrup and vanilla and beat until creamy.
In a small bowl, combine the flour and reserved pecan meal.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. (The mixture will be soft.)
Drop the dough in 1-inch balls on a well-oiled baking sheet and flatten the dough with a wet palm or thumb print.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges and the bottoms are golden brown.
Cool on wire rack and serve warm.

Stuffed Brinjal (eggplant)

Stuffed Brinjal (eggplant)

This is a hot and spicy recipe of Pratibha Kottapalli recorded on June 16, 2008. This quick and low calorie eggplant recipe turns out deliciously tender and spicy.

Ingredients:

4 small (or 2 big) green chilies
1 white onion
1 tbs ginger
2 tbs cilantro
2 cloves garlic (optional)
6 small eggplants
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds

Directions:

Heat cooking pan while preparing ingredients. (2-3 minutes on simmer)
Combine green chilies, onion, ginger, cilantro, and garlic (optional) in a food processer and finely chop. Transfer to a bowl and add salt and chili powder.
Cut eggplants into quarters leaving stems on.
Stuff eggplants with chili-onion mixture.
Add oil to hot pan. Fry cumin seeds just until they begin to brown.
Place stuffed eggplants into pan. Spread any remaining stuffing on top.
Cover and cook over medium heat, turning eggplants occasionally until well-cooked, about 10-20 minutes.

Rajma (Red Kidney Bean Curry)

Rajma
(Red Kidney Bean Curry)

This is a hot and spicy recipe of Pratibha Kottapalli recorded on June 16, 2008. Using canned beans and tomatoes makes creating this delicious curry possible in under an hour.

Ingredients:

1 16 oz. kidney beans
1 12 oz can diced stewed tomatoes
2-3 tbs. vegetable oil
1 white onion (coarsely chopped)
4 small green chilies (chopped, seeds optional depending taste for spicy food)
1 jalapeno
4 whole cloves
6 pods of black pepper
1 tbs. cumin seeds
½ tsp black mustard seeds (found at Indian market)
1 tsp fresh ginger (finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic
1 small dried red chili
2 tbs fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
1 potato (peeled and diced)
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbs kasuri methi (dried fenu greek leaves, found at Indian market)
1 tsp red chili powder
1-2 tsp rajma masala powder (found at Indian market)
1 tbs chickpea flour or corn starch, dissolved in 1-2 tbs water

Directions:
Heat cooking pan while preparing ingredients.
When pan is hot, add 2-3 tbs. vegetable oil.
Add cloves, black pepper, cumin seeds, and black mustard seeds.
Seeds will begin to “pop.” Add green chilies, ginger, onion, garlic, and red chili.
Sauté for several minutes.
Lightly rinse diced potatoes in water. Add potatoes.
Add salt and turmeric. Add tomatoes.
Cook down until vegetables soften and onion is translucent. (Leave enough liquid so that potatoes may cook. If too much water cooks off, add a little water.)
Add methi, chili powder, masala powder, and fresh cilantro.
Add beans (with or without liquid)
Add ½ - ¾ cup water to create the consistency of a moderately thin sauce
Add chickpea flour or corn starch.
Cover and cook about 20 minutes, until potatoes are done. If using a pressure cooker, cook until steam releases from the cooker, about 10 minutes.