Spinach curry in yogurt sauce (Palak Kadi)

So I ended up getting a spinach bag from Costco and like all other things it was a jumbo pack(I love the part that it is pre-washed). And since then I have been trying out all the spinach recipes that I know of to get to it before they go bad. We had spinach-tofu curry, spinach salad, omelet with spinach filling and spinach curry in yogurt sauce.

This recipe is for a yogurt based spinach curry, in India its also called Palak(= Spinach) Kadi(=Yogurt based curry).

Ingredients:
2 cups of chopped spinach
1 cup thick yogurt
1/2 cup peanuts
2 green chilies slit in the middle
2 tbsp besan (chickpea flour) or corn starch
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander(cilantro) seed powder
1 tsp sugar
salt to taste

Method:
In a deep pan heat oil and the chilies followed by cumin seeds, turmeric and coriander powder, saute it for a minute. Add peanuts and spinach and let the spinach cook on medium heat.
In the meanwhile mix besan in yogurt completely so that there are no lumps. When the spinach has wilted add the yogurt mixture and sugar. Bring the curry to a boil on a low flame.
Serve hot with rice, you could also enjoy it as a soup.

Quinoa soup

We just love this hearty vegetable soup not only is it yummy but its also super nutritious. I try to include Quinoa in our diet because of its high protein content. Quinoa goes well in Pilafs and Biryanis. It makes a great substitute for rice, more about it on a later post. Today for supper we are enjoying a vegetarian Quinoa soup. Meat lovers could substitute some of the vegetables with any meat of your choice.

Ingredients:
0. 1 cup Quinoa
1. 1 Qt vegetable broth (alternately water)
2. 1 can red kidney beans
3. 1 medium Potato
4. 1 cup mix of chopped carrots, beans and corn(I used frozen)
5. 1 cup chopped spinach(I used frozen)
6. 1 medium onion chopped
7. 3 Green chillies slit in the middle(or as per spice tolerance)
8. 2 tbsp coriander powder
9. 1 tbsp cumin seeds
10. 1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt as per taste

Method:
0. Rinse Quinoa thoroughly and set aside.
1. In a pressure cooker saute onion and chillies followed by cumin, coriander and turmeric powders
2. Add all the vegetables followed by quinoa and saute for about 2 minutes, add salt
3. Pressure cook on medium for 3 whistles
4. Check the consistency of the soup add more broth (or water) and salt/pepper as necessary.

Serve with wheat thins.

Cauliflower soup

Usually if the dish in front of you is yummy then you had probably assume that the cook spent a long time in the kitchen making this elaborate looking dish. Not always true! Especially with this cauliflower soup that I have here today. Its as simple as it can get, but it will keep people thanking you for the yummy food and appreciating all the effort you have put into it. Little do they know.. :)

Ingredients:
1 cauliflower head roughly chopped
1/2 cup onions chopped
4-5 sprigs of rosemary
3-4 stalks of celery (optional)
2 cups milk
4 cloves of garlic
1 granny smith apple peeled and diced for garnish
1 tbsp oil
salt and pepper for taste

Method:

Take 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and chopped onions, rosemary, garlic cloves. Followed by salt and pepper for taste.
Saute until onions becomes translucent and garlic cloves turn a golden brown.
Add cauliflower and celery, cover and let it cook through. Once the cauliflower is slightly mushy add milk and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and pass it thru a blender to make a coarse mixture.
Return it to the original vessel, warm it again and adjust salt+spices as per your liking.

Before serving add a tsp of the diced apples to each bowl. Alternately you could slightly fry the diced apple in butter before garnishing. I tried it with and without frying the apple but didn't notice a significant difference, so I skipped the frying business this time around.

Enjoy, the simple yet delicious soup!

Tomato Soup

Nothing can beat a bowl of warm Tomato soup when you are down with flu like symptoms. I followed this recipe I found online. I adapted it a bit to suit my sparse pantry and to keep the calorie count low. Here is my version, it tasted amazing!





Ingredients:
4 Tomatoes chopped
2 tbsp chopped onion
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1/2 inch of ginger chopped
2 cloves of garlic crushed
2 Bay leaves
1/4 cup of mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped carrots(I used frozen)
1/4 cup peas(I used frozen)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup water or veggie broth
1 cup 2% fat milk (or use cream instead)
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
salt
pepper

Method:
1. Sprinkle salt, pepper(generously) and olive oil on the chopped onions,tomatoes and crushed garlic, roast it at 450 degrees for 15 minutes in the oven.
2. In a pan add butter and saute the ginger, followed by bay leaves, mint, carrot, peas and tomato paste.
3. Add water and cook the veggies for 10 mins
4. Once the veggies are cooked through add the roasted veggies and cook for 5 mins
5. Take off the heat and blend until smooth
6. Put the soup back in the pot, add milk and boil it one last time.

Serve hot with croutons or wheat thins!

Masoor Dal(Brown Lentils)

Of all Dals Masoor dal(Brown Lentils) is my favorite, for 2 reasons. Firstly because it has this nice earthy taste to it and secondly, its so easy to cook. You will know what I am talking about in a bit when you look at the ingredients list and the recipe below. This is a no frills recipe that tastes divine. You can serve it with rice or have it as a soup, it warms up your tummy instantly, I just love it.



Ingredients:
1 cup masoor dal aka Brown Lentils
slivered ginger 1 tsp
2 finely chopped green chilies or as per taste
1 tsp of cumin seeds
pinch of turmeric (optional)
Salt to taste
Seasoning:
1 tsp oil
2 cloves of garlic

Method:
Pressure cook all the ingredients(except for the seasoning) until the dal is cooked. I wait for 3 whistles on a medium-low flame and take off the heat. Once the pressure is completely gone check the consistency of the dal, add more water if desired.
In a separate small utensil, saute the garlic cloves in oil until they get golden brown on both sides and add this to the cooked dal.
Serve it as a soup or with some cooked rice.

You could cook the dal in a chicken or vegetable broth for a more healthier version. Enjoy!