Vegetables in a Creamy Curry Sauce
Kormas and nut based creamy sauces are the Persian influence in India. This one is a curry from Kashmir the Northern most part of India.
I Green Bell pepper cubed
1 Cup Onions Chopped
1 Jalapeno sliced
4 Cloves garlic peeled and minced
4 Cups Frozen mixed Vegetables, Peas, Carrots Beans and Corn
1 Cup Tomato Paste Read the rest of this entry »
Lentils in creamy style
Daal Makhani is a favorite lentil delicacy from Punjab, North India. Any Indian full course dinner or lunch must have some type of lentil in the menu. Lentils are cooked into a spicy gravy and are used as a dipping for flatbreads or to spread over rice. Lentils can also be soaked and blended into a puree and fried as appetizers. In South India lentils are soaked, ground and mixed with rice powder to make crepes. These crepes are called Dosas or they may be filled with spicy potato filling and rolled into Masala Dosas or spicy crepes. Lentils are an excellent source of protein and each state in India and each village cooks them in their own special way. When you visit an Indian Grocery store you will see many different varieties of the lentil. These lentils are also available at Asian or Far East markets. Today’s lentil recipe will use three different types of lentils.
1 Cup Urad Daal whole or Kali Daal or Black Lentils whole and not split available at Indian Groceries
½ Cup Split Mung Bean Daal also available at Indian Grocery stores
½ Cup Chana Daal or split Chickpea Lentils available at Indian or Asian Grocery stores
1 Tsp. Turmeric Powder
½ Tsp. Cayenne Pepper Powder Read the rest of this entry »
Potato Cauliflower and Peas from Madhya Pradesh, middle side of India
This is a very simple and tasty vegetable. This can be served with Basmati rice or with Indian flatbreads.
2 Cups Potatoes peeled and cubed
2 Cups Cauliflower Florets
1Cup Peas
4 Tbs. Cooking Oil
1 Tbs Whole Cumin Seeds
1 tbs. Jalapenos chopped Read the rest of this entry »
The natural healing cuisine of India
“Ayurveda” or the science of life is the ancient medical system of India and existed since about 5000B.C. There are four religious doctrines discovered many years ago in India. They are the Rig-Veda, Sham Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. The Ayurveda is contained within the Atharva Veda. Ayurveda is based on firstly a belief in God. The healing system is based on love.
According to Ayurveda, there are three major life forces in the body called the three biological humors. In Sanskrit they are called Vata, Pitta, and Kapha and are also known as the “Tridoshas”. They again relate to the elements of air, fire and water and is the basis for the treatment of both physical and psychological constitution. There is also the three “Gunas” or qualities called Satya, Rajas, and Tamas. The biological humors are the root of this ancient healing system.
Ayurvedic science of food and diet is a tremendously large field and influences every aspect of one’s life. In Chinese medicine there is reference to Yin, Yang and Chi or blood to be the primary elements in the body. In European Medicine it refers to as the Bile, Blood and the Phlegm. In Ayurveda “Purusha” means male and “Prakriti” translates as female. The “Tridoshas” Vata Pitta and Kapha as discussed before are the dynamic principles that govern the body, mind, and consciousness. Read the rest of this entry »
This is a basic Mung Bean dal and Basmati rice stew
The word Khichuri literally means a hotchpotch or a mixture
2 Cups Mung Bean Dal, or split yellow Lentils available at the Indian Groceries or Asian and Thai markets. You could substitute with split Red Lentils available at regular grocery stores.
1 Cup Basmati Rice
4 Tbs. Ghee, clarified butter, or cooking oil
2 Bay Leaves
2 Whole Cayenne Peppers
1 Tsp. Cumin Seeds, whole
1 Jalapeno or two Serranos chopped fine
1 Tsp. Asafoetida or Hing powder (available at Asian or Indian grocers)
1 Tomato chopped, about one cup
1 Tbs. Fresh ginger peeled and grated
1Tsp. Turmeric powder
1 Tbs. Roasted and ground Cumin Seeds
1Tbs. Salt
1Tbs. Sugar
1Tsp Garam Masala (Equal amounts of Cardamom Cinnamon and Clove ground together)
6 Cups Water (You might need more) Read the rest of this entry »
