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Hello Foodies!  Hope all is well in your world.  How about something other than Indian Cuisine? Does Mediterranean Falafel sound good? Gluten Free Vegan Chickpea Falafel is part of our midweek menu. Deep fried, yet protein rich appetizer. Someday when I try an air-fried or baked version of falafel, I'll definitely update it here. Ingredients: Dry Chickpeas - 1 cup Green Onions/Spring Onions - 3 sprigs Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - about 1/2 cup Thai Green Chilies - 2 Chickpea Flour/Besan - about 2 tbsp Corn Starch - 1 tbsp White Sesame Seeds/Til - about 2 tsp Ground Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander/Dhane/Dhaniya - 1 tsp Ground Cumin/Jeera - 1 tsp Salt Oil for deep frying How to cook Vegan Falafel: Soak dry chickpeas in plenty of water overnight. After soaking, chickpeas will double to triple their size. Wash soaked chickpeas 3 - 4 times with water. Drain the water completely. In a food processor, add drained chickpeas, green onions (both whites and greens), green chilie...

Lentils, known as Dal are a staple in an Indian diet, especially vegetarian. For me, dal is comfort food. 5 different dal varieties - Toor, Moong, Chana, Masoor and Urad are commonly used in Indian sweet and savory delicacies. You can cook dal with just one kind or a mix of two or more. I generally cook dal with 1:1 Toor and Moong dals. But then, we like Panchmel or Panchratna Dal too, which is made of all five. Most dal recipes have Toor dal as the primary ingredient. It is also known as Toovar or Arhar dal or Split Pigeon Peas . Some of our family favorite dal recipes are Dalitoy (Konkani Dal)  Tadka Dal Among all lentils, moong dal and masoor dal take lesser time to cook. Moong dal is also known as Split Green Gram or Split Mung Bean . Moong dal is also used in making sweet dishes like Mung Dal Kheer  Mung Dal Puranpoli Chana dal is also known as Split Bengal Gram or Split Chickpeas . Chana Dal takes a little more time to cook as compared to toor dal....

I like to cook simple and easy, nutritious, wholesome meals. Leafy salads are one of my favorites, but they lack protein. Today's Three Bean Salad has both veggies and protein rich beans. I have used white and red beans. You can make it more colorful by adding black beans, pinto beans and so on. Hope you like this easy, flavorful salad. Ingredients: Green Beans/French Beans - about 2 cups Dry White Beans - 1/4 cup Dry Red Kidney Beans/Rajma - 1/4 cup Red Onions (finely chopped) - about 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar - 2 tbsp Olive Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard - 1 tbsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Salt How to make Three Bean Salad: Soak dry white beans and red beans in plenty of water overnight. Cook them in about 5 cups water in a pot until soft. Add salt and bring it to a boil.  Drain all the water. Save the cooked beans for later. Use any dry beans of your choice. Canned beans work fine too. Set aside a bowl of ice cold water to add the cooked...

What is your idea of a wholesome healthy meal? For me, it must include vegetables, proteins and complex carbohydrates. Plus, the food must be cooked in very less oil. Planning a tasty meal keeping these things in mind is not always possible. But, whenever I do, you guys will get to read all about it. Here is a simple yet delicious spinach and beans curry with Jowar flatbread . Ingredients: Baby Spinach Leaves/Palak - about 5 cups Dry White Beans - 1/2 cup Onion - 1 medium Garlic - 4 big cloves Tamarind/Chinch/Imli Paste - 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Kitchen King Masala or any other spice mix - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Oil - 2 tbsp Salt How to make Spinach and White Bean Curry: Soak dry white beans in plenty of water overnight. Wash the soaked beans and cook them in 2 - 3 cups of water until soft. Add more water if required. Alternately, you can pressure cook them as well. Or canned beans work fine too. Finely chop onions....

What's cooking for lunch at your place?  We are having a simple roti sabji for lunch. A protein rich split chickpeas curry with soft, fluffy phulka. Today's recipe is the basic style of cooking an Indian curry, with onions and tomatoes. Add your personal touch to this curry by choosing your favorite Masala or spice mix. Ingredients: Chana Dal/Split Chickpeas/Split Bengal Gram - 1 cup Onion/Pyaz - 1 medium Tomatoes/Tamatar - 2 medium Garlic/Lahsun - 3 big cloves Ginger/Adrak - half inch piece Green Chili/Hari Mirch - 1 Red Chili Powder/Lal Mirch - 1 tsp Garam Masala or any other spice mix - 1/2 tsp Chat Masala or Aamchur (Dry Mango Powder) - 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp Cilantro/Coriander/Dhania Leaves - few sprigs Salt Oil How to cook Chana Dal Masala: Soak chana dal in plenty of water for 20 - 30 minutes. Soaking is optional. Wash the soaked dal well. Heat about 4 cups of water in a pot. Add washed dal and cook until cha...

Rice is a staple at our place. Recently, we made a change in our diet. We started eating less processed Red Rice instead of White Rice. With rice, comes a curry. And especially, with red rice, you need gravy curries. For a high protein meal, beans are perfect. One of our favorites with rice is this Marathi style Chawli Amti. This curry made of Black Eyed Peas or Lobia tastes great with roti and bread as well. Ingredients: Dry Black eyed Peas/Chawli/Lobia - 3/4 cup Onion - 1 medium Tomatoes - 2 medium Garlic - 2 big cloves Ginger - 1/2 inch piece Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Curry Leaves/Kadipata - 5 leaves Cilantro/Coriander/Kothimbir Leaves - few sprigs Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/8 tsp Oil - 1 tbsp Salt How to cook Chawli Amti / Black eyed Peas Curry: Soak black eyed peas in plenty of water overnight. Drain the water and wash the soaked peas well.  Cook the peas in about 2 cups water, until they turn soft. A...

Lentils/Dals are a staple at my place. Add in a few vegetables and it turns into a hearty, complete meal. Any vegetable goes well - green peas, methi or fenugreek leaves, green onions, carrots, cauliflower, leeks. Some also call it as Sabz Daal, when cooked with many vegetables. I like my Daal with the flavor of just one vegetable. For today, lets taste the most nutritious greens, Palak or Spinach. Slurp it like a soup with a dash of lemon or enjoy it with rice. Ingredients: Chopped Palak/Spinach Leaves (tightly packed) - 3 cups Mung Dal/Split Green Gram - 1/2 cup Onion - 1 medium Garlic/Lahsun - 2 big cloves Green Chilies - 4 Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander/Dhania Powder - 1/2 tsp Aamchur/Dry Mango Powder - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp Oil - 1 tbsp Salt How to cook Spinach Dal: Wash mung dal well. Add turmeric and cook it with 2 - 3 cups water until soft. You can use any other dal like Toor/Arhar Dal, Masoor Dal or a combination of dals. Use a salad s...

Lately, I have been cooking lots of protein rich beans and dals. Two dal based new recipes were on my mind - Rajasthani Dal Baati and Gujarati Dal Dhokli . My experiment of baking Baati with less oil was a complete failure. But this Dal Dhokli, also known as Chakolya or Varan Phal in Marathi was a hit. Chakolya is a desi version of whole wheat pasta in a lentil/dal sauce. For the sauce or Amti, instead of the regular Toor Dal, I used Panchmel Dal . Ingredients: Whole Wheat Flour - 1 cup Cayenne Pepper/Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Salt Toor Dal/Split Pigeon Peas - 2 tbsp Mung Dal/Split Green Gram - 2 tbsp Masoor Dal/Split Red Lentils - 2 tbsp Chana Dal/Split Bengal Gram - 2 tbsp Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 2 tbsp Tomato - 1 medium Tamarind/Imli/Chinch - 1 tsp Ginger - 1 inch piece Green Chilies - 3 Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig Dry Fenugreek Leaves/Kasuri Methi - 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera See...

A great variety of lentils and beans are used in Indian food, especially vegetarian, for its protein content. Every regional cuisine of India has a traditional bean recipe - Matki (Moth Bean) Usal from Maharashtra, Punjabi Chole (Chickpeas)  and so on.  Muga Ambat , a traditional Konkani Mung Bean Coconut curry is quite common in my Mom's kitchen. Similarly, Rajma is an integral part of North Indian cooking. Ingredients: Dry Rajma/Red Kidney Beans - 1 cup Onion - 1 medium Canned Tomato Paste - 3 tbsp Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Bay Leaf/Tejpatta/Tamal patra - 1 Cinnamon/Dalchini - an inch piece Cloves/Lavang/Long - 4 Star Anise - 1 Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander/Dhania Powder - 1/2 tsp Spanish Paprika - 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper or Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp Aamchur/Dry Mango Powder - 1/2 tsp Chole Masala - 1/4 tsp Yogurt/Curd/Dahi - 1/4 cup (optional) Salt Oil How to cook North Indian Rajma Masal...

Usal is a protein rich Marathi curry made of bean sprouts.  Misal , a popular street food of Mumbai is a similar recipe made of variety of beans. Today's Usal recipe is of mixed 15 beans - chickpeas, red kidney beans, black beans, split peas and so on. These are available as dry 15 Beans or 16 Beans Soup. Ingredients: Mixed 15 Beans - 1 cup Onion - 1 medium Potato - 1 medium (optional) Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander/Dhania Powder - 1/2 tsp Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper/Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Salt Oil How to cook Usal using 15 Beans: Soak the mixed beans 4 - 5 hours. Soaking will help the beans cook well. Wash the soaked beans well. Finely chop onions and cilantro. Dice the peeled potato into medium slices. Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add onions and sauté until onions soften. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for anoth...

Chickpeas are an excellent source of proteins for vegans and vegetarians. Today's protein rich bean salad with the natural sweetness of carrots and a tangy lemon dressing is quite refreshing. You need not worry about calories here as this salad is oil free and cheese free. This salad is popular as Chana Chaat all over India. Ingredients: Dry Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans/Kabuli Chana - 1/2 cup Grated Carrots - about 1/2 cup Tomato - 1 medium Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp Chat Masala - 1 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper/Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp Coriander/Cilantro/Dhania Leaves - few sprigs Red Onions (finely chopped) - 2 tbsp Salt How to prepare Chickpea Carrot Salad: Soak chickpeas overnight. After soaking, 1/2 cup chickpeas will turn to 1 cup. Cook them in about 2 cups water until soft. Add more water if required. Add salt and bring it to a boil. You can use canned chickpeas or any other beans of your choice. Discard the seeds and the soft pulp of the tomat...

Whenever I plan a meal, I make sure our diet has more proteins and leafy greens. One of the combinations I like is Dals/Lentils with greens like Spinach and Methi. Sometimes I make Panchmel Dal with five types of lentils. Today I tried something new in my kitchen.. Whole Masoor Dal with Spring Mix salad mix. Try this recipe with a few tweaks of your own, any lentil or bean of your choice with your favorite leafy greens. Ingredients: Whole Red Lentils/Masoor - 1/2 cup Spring Mix or any other leafy greens - about 2 cups Onion - 1 small Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp Coriander/Dhane Powder - 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1 tsp Chat Masala - 1 tsp Green Chilli Paste - 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil How to cook Masoor Dal with Greens: Cook Masoor Dal with 3 - 4 cups water until soft. I generally use a pressure cooker for Dals, as it saves time. Finely chop onions and spring mix greens. Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add onions and ginger garlic...

A Konkani recipe of Masoor Dal (Whole Red Lentils) in a mildly spiced coconut sauce. This protein rich red lentils coconut curry is perfect for both vegetarians and vegans. Ingredients: Whole Red Lentils/Masoor - 1/2 cup Grated Coconut - about 1 cup Medium Chopped Onions - about 2 tbsp Garlic/Lasun - 4 cloves Coriander Seeds/Dhane - 1 1/2 tbsp Dry Red Chilies - 6 Tamarind/Chinch/Chincham - about 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil How to cook Masoori Ambat: Wash red lentils with water. Cook lentils and chopped onions in 2 - 3 cups water till lentils turn soft. Add more water if required. Masoor is a brown skinned lentil/pulse which is orange or pink inside. Masoor Dal is available as skin-less red lentils. Roast coriander seeds and red chilies with 1/2 tsp oil in a pan. Roast at low flame until coriander seeds slightly darken and turn aromatic.  Grind coconut, roasted coriander seeds, roasted red chilies, tamarind and turmeric to a fine or slightly coarse ...

Kala Chana (Black Chickpeas) simmered in mildly spiced spinach and yogurt sauce. A tasty and nutritious combo of protein rich chickpeas and healthy greens. Ingredients: Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans/Bengal Gram/Chana - 1/2 cup Onion - 1 medium Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 1/2 tsp Spinach/Palak - about 2 cups Tomatoes - 2 medium Dry Red Chilies - 5 Fennel Seeds/Saunf - 1 tsp Ginger - an inch piece Garlic - 3 big cloves Kabab Masala or any other spice mix - 1/4 tsp Yogurt/Curds/Dahi - 1/2 cup (optional) Salt Oil How to prepare Kala Chana Palak Masala: Soak chickpeas in water for 6 - 8 hours. Cook soaked chickpeas in about 2 cups water till soft. Finely chop onions and roughly chop tomatoes. Puree washed baby spinach leaves, chopped tomatoes, dry red chilies, ginger, garlic and fennel seeds to a fine paste. Add little water if required. Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and after few seconds add onions. Sauté till onions...

There are some Indian delicacies which I really miss in US. Finding a restaurant here serving Misal Pav is next to impossible. But this popular street food of Mumbai, can be made easily at home. For those whom Misal sounds new, it is a Marathi spicy sprouts curry recipe served with Pav (Indian Dinner Rolls). A variety of beans' sprouts used in this curry makes it highly nutritious and protein rich. Fenugreek seeds' sprouts are not traditionally used, but I made a few changes to enhance the nutrient value. Ingredients: Mung Beans/Mug - 2 tbsp Moth Beans/Matki/Motu - 2 tbsp Yellow Peas/Vatane - 2 tbsp Chickpeas/Kabuli Chana - 2 tbsp Fenugreek/Methi Seeds - 1 tbsp (optional) Onion - 1 big Tomatoes - 2 medium Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 1/2 tbsp Dessicated (Dry) Coconut - 2 tbsp Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig Bay Leaf - 1 Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp Coriander Seeds/Dhane - 2 tsp Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 2 tsp Black Peppercorns/Miri - about 6 Cloves/Lavang - 4 Cinnamon...

Aromatic, spicy pigeon peas stew with ivy gourd. Ingredients: Ivy Gourd/Tindora/Tendli - about 2 cups Onion - 1 small Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Toor Dal/ Split Pigeon Peas - 1/2 cup + 1 tsp Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 1 tsp Coriander Seeds/Dhane - 2 tsp Fenugreek/Methi Seeds - 1/2 tsp Cloves/Lavang - 5 Cinnamon/Dalchini - 1/4 inch piece Black Peppercorns - about 8 Dry Red Chillies - 4 Tamarind/Chinch/Imli - about 1 tsp Jaggery or Brown Sugar - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Salt Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Curry Leaves/Kadhipata - a sprig Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Dry Red Chilly - 1 Oil Method: 1. Wash 1/2 cup pigeon peas well and cook them till soft. 2. Dice ivy gourd and onion into big cubes.  Finely chop cilantro. 3. Heat about 1 tsp oil in a pan.  Add 1 tsp toor dal, urad dal, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorns and 4 red chillies.  Roast all the spices till they slightly darken and turn aroma...

A mixed dals recipe made with five lentils - Toor Dal,  Mung Dal, Masoor Dal, Chana Dal and Urad Dal. Ingredients: Toor Dal/Split Pigeon Peas - 1 tbsp Mung Dal/Split Green Gram - 1 tbsp Masoor Dal/Split Red Lentils - 1 tbsp Chana Dal/Split Bengal Gram - 1 tbsp Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 1 tbsp Onion - 1 small Tomato - 1 medium Ginger - 1/2 inch piece Garlic - 3 big cloves Green Chillies - 4 Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Curry Leaves - a sprig Dry Red Chillies - 2 Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil Method: 1. Mix all the five dals and wash them well.  Cook dals till they soften.  Lightly mash them. 2. Finely chop onions and cilantro leaves.  Crush ginger and garlic.  Medium chop tomatoes and green chillies.  Pat the washed curry leaves dry. 3. Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a pan.  Add cumin, crushed ginger, garlic, red chillies and curry leaves.  Saute till garlic changes ...

We all talk about traditional authentic recipes, but there is no yardstick to measure authenticity. For me, my family recipes are traditional. This Konkani Sambar recipe is my paternal Grandma's, passed on to me by my mother.

Daal (Lentils) are a staple in Indian Cuisine.  Tur Dal (Pigeon Peas) are more commonly used.  Today's Dal recipe is with whole Mung Bean flavoured with mint and garlic.  All my favourite spices made this daal truly delicious.  Ingredients: Mung/Whole Green Gram/Mung Bean - 1/2 cup Onion - 1 medium Garlic - 5 big cloves Green Chillies - 8 Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Mint/Pudina Leaves - few sprigs Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/2 tsp Tamarind paste or Aamchur - 1/2 tsp Jaggery or Brown Sugar - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil Method: 1. Soak whole green gram in water for 6 - 8 hours.  Wash soaked gram.  Pressure cook with 1 1/2 cups water to one whistle or till gram turns soft. 2. Crush the peeled garlic.  Finely chop onions, cilantro and mint leaves. Slit the green chillies lengthwise.  3. Heat 1 - 2 tbsp oil in a pan.  Add cumin seeds and crushed garlic.  Saute till garlic turns slightly brown.  Add chopped onions and fry...

Chickpeas or Garbanzo beans in a spicy onion tomato gravy. Ingredients: Dry Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans/Kabuli Chana - 1 cup Cloves/Lavang/Long - 4 Cinnamon/Dalchini - small piece Bay Leaf - 1 Cilantro/Coriander leaves - few sprigs Red chilli powder/Cayenne pepper - 1 tsp Oil - 2 tbsp Salt Onions - 3 medium Tomatoes - 2 medium Green Chilies - 4 Garlic - 4 big cloves Ginger - 1/2 inch piece Coriander Seeds - 2 tsp Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp How to cook Indian Chole: Soak chickpeas in water for about 6 hours. Wash and cook soaked chickpeas in 2 - 3 cups water till soft. Roughly dice onions and tomatoes. Grind onions, tomatoes, green chilies, ginger, garlic, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, 1 tbsp cooked chickpeas to a fine paste. Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a pan/skillet. Add bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon. After a couple of minutes, add the ground paste. Stir fry the paste for about 10 minutes or till oil starts leaving. Add cooked chickpeas, red chili po...