Sundal - a Navaratri Speciality (Tempered Chickpea Salad)

 Each year I never seem to see the festive season coming up, before I am actually in the middle of it! This year was the same - the first week of October saw me travelling on work and hubby and kiddo came along since the schools were shut for the C'wealth Games. By the time we got back, Navratri - the nine day festival dedicated to the Goddess in all her myriad forms - had begun.

Saptami (the seventh day) this year, was also the closing ceremony for the Games and that was the first day of the Durga Puja in our neighbourhood pandal. The aarthi in the evening with the rhythm of the Dhak and the langurous movements of the beautiful Bengali women as they worshipped the Goddess in their own special way, was overwhelming.

Just as each day of Navratri has a special significance for various communities in India, the food which is prepared for each day also varies. At home, we didn't have a tradition of fasts or of keeping "Golu" - the beautiful symbolic practice of arranging dolls at home and inviting ladies and children in the evenings for some bhajans and pradasam.

In our home, Saraswati Puja on the 9th day - Navami, was the most auspicious when books and pens and tools would be laid out in the prayer room and the whole house decorated with haldi and kumkum (including all the appliances!). And the main preparation on this day was Sundal - a simple preparation of cooked lentils or legumes tempered with mustard and coconut - black chickpeas for Navami and white chickpeas for Dasera or Vijayadashami - the 10th day. People who had rituals or fasted on the other 8 days as well, prepare different lentils/legumes for each day - moong dal, urad dal, chana dal etc.

For the past couple of years, I have started preparing this through the year as well so that hubby can have it as a salad - a break from the usual cucumber, tomatoes, broccoli, roasted veggies etc. Its filling, nutritious and fibre filled - perfect for filling you up without the extra calories. It is very, very, simple to make but I am including a recipe anyway.

This year for Saraswati Puja - we had this sundal made of black chickpeas- then there was Boli (also called Holige and Obbattu in Karnataka where it is very popular) which is basically a flour based poli (flat bread) stuffed with a coconut jaggery filling and shallow fried on a griddle. Medu Vadai - deep fried lentil fritters- and Bisibele Bhath - a delicious rice cooked with lentils, a coconut based spice mix , tamarind and some vegetables, made up the rest of the meal.

Wishing you a very Happy Dasera celebration!

Sundal (Tempered Chickpea Salad)

 

1 cup Black chickpeas - soaked in water overnight or for 6-8 hours atleast. (You can used canned chickpeas as well)

Tempering:
 2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
pinch of hing (asafoetida)
curry leaves - handful
red chillies - 2-3
grated coconut - 1/4 cup

salt to taste

1. Pressure cook the chickpeas for 45 minutes to an hour - that would be 2 whistles and then 30-35 minutes on a low flame. If using canned, go to step 2
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and when it splutters, add the rec chillies, asafoetida, urad dal and curry leaves.

3. Toss the cooked chickpeas in the tempering and heat through till any moisture or water from the chickpead dries up.
4. Add salt and grated coconut; mix and remove from flame after a minute.

Chickpeas,Raw Mango and Apricot Tagine with Couscous

I first saw a Tagine - the clay vessel as well as the eponymous dish cooked in it - on a cuisine show on TV. I was quite fascinated at the way everything was cooked together, including the meat, gently simmering till all the tender ingredients came together in a rich flavourful stew. I loved the different looking vessel called the tagine, a deep clay vessel with a conical lid which collected the condensation while cooking and it went right back into the dish.

The episode was filmed in Turkey, and this dish was being prepared in a traditional Middle Eastern household; when it was done, a boy went out to the local bakery where they had already given a loaf of bread to bake, and returned with warm freshly baked bread.
The family then sat down to a simple meal of tagine with the rustic bread. Seemed delicious.

I haven't found a tagine as yet...but I did discover along the way, that the dish could be cooked as usual or even in a slow cooker (crock pot). There are also vegetarian versions and the main thing is that most of the ingredients should cook together on a low flame for that distinctive rich stew.



Couscous is another dish seen in many Middle Eastern recipes. I have come across many articles about couscous - the correct way to cook couscous so that it remains fluffy, the fact that it is actually a kind of pasta, the different kinds of couscous. So, when I came across a packet of couscous I immediately picked it up.

Couscous goes well with tagine.....so, I looked up some tagine recipes. Many of them were with meat, and others with pumpkin and mixed vegetables. I didn't want to add pumpkin because it usually sweetens the dish - and my home lurvves spicy food!

After looking through many recipes, I came across this one on the BBC website. Which I adapted. A lot.
Tagine is definitely going to become one of my favourites because it adapts itself so well to whatever ingredient catches your fancy!

I decided to leave the squashes and pumpkins aside and go ahead with bell peppers, carrots, fresh red chillies, apricots, zucchini and raw mango. Chickpeas goes into most tagine recipes as are onions and garlic.

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans/chana) are legumes rich in dietary fiber, protein and folate and magnesium. They have been found to significantly lower levels of total and LDL ("bad") cholestrol. Their richness in folates and magnesium especially increase their efficacy in reducing risk factors involved in heart attacks. Combining chickpeas with garlic or turmeric gives added cardio protection. Combining it with a whole grain like brown rice or whole wheat pasta provides high quality protein comparable to that found in meat or dairy products, without the additional fat content of those foods. Besides lowering cholestrol and being a source of protein, its high fibre content stabilises blood sugar levels making this an ideal food for those who need to control their sugar levels.

Apricots are full of beta carotene and fiber, and this along with their high lycopene content makes them important heart healthy foods. Being rich in Vitamin A, they also protect one's eyes. Remember carrots? Add this one to that orange food list.

What came out of this mix was an incredibly rich stew with a whole gamut of flavours. It could even be served with brown rice instead of couscous, and for a one pot meal you could cook the brown rice in the tagine. I'm going to try that the next time.

The couscous was quite simple to make - I didn't have steamer to cook this in, but I used these tips, spread it on a large steel thali (plate), poured hot water over it and then covered with another thali for about 4-5 minutes. It came out perfectly done. Couscous looks deceptively light (maybe because it resembles our rava or semolina), but be warned that it is quite heavy and a little goes a long way. Couscous while being low in saturated fats and cholestrol is high in dietary fiber and carbs.Read more here.

I am sending this to the Heart of the Matter Event, a brainchild of Ilva and Joanna - this time the theme is Stews and Casseroles and it's being hosted by Michelle of The Accidental Scientist. Thanks for the date extension Michelle!


If you haven't heard of this lovely event, go over and find out more as it turns one next month. The trio of bloggers are making a superb attempt to raise our consciousness of heart healthy foods and a wholesome diet.

Chickpeas, Raw Mango and Apricot Tagine with Couscous

Ingredients:

Cooked Chickpeas - 2 cups (from a can or soaked overnight and pressure cooked till tender and peeled)
Onions - 2 medium chopped
Garlic - 2 -3 cloves minced
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Tomatoes - 3 medium chopped
Zucchini - 1 cup chopped into big pieces
Carrots - 1 small chopped
Green Bell Pepper - 1 chopped
Fresh Red chilli - 1-2 small chopped
Dried apricots - 8 chopped

Chilli powder (cayenne) - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Chopped fresh coriander or mint - half a cup chopped

500 ml vegetable stock (I used the water in which I cooked the chickpeas, already flavoured with black cardamom (moti elaichi))

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan, preferably one with a domed lid.Put in the cinnamon stick and then the chopped onions and saute till golden and soft - about 8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute for 2 minutes, next go the spice powders for about 3-4 minutes.

2. Add the apricots, saute 1 minute then pour about 4 tbsp of water into the pan, cover and cook on low for about 5-8 minutes till the apricot is soft, adding a tbsp or two of water if needed.

3. Toss in bell peppers, red chilli,carrots and tomatoes and cook on high for 3-4 minutes; then lower flame, cook covered for about 15 minutes till the tomatoes are pulpy adding a little of the stock if necessary.

4. Add the salt, chickpeas and zucchini to the pan, pour in 300ml of the vegetable stock or chickpea stock and 100 ml water and continue cooking covered for about 25 - 30 minutes on a low flame.

5. The vegetables should be well cooked but still holding their shape and the stew should have thickened a bit. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve over couscous.

Kadala Curry (Black chickpea in coconut curry)

Puttu and kadala curry - traditional Kerala breakfast at it's best. A very satisfying and nutritious combination of slightly bland puttu (rice flour and coconut, usually, filled into cylindrical moulds and steamed) and a spicy nutty gravy, I had it first at a dear friend's house and still remember the amazing taste. His mother who is one wonderfully brave woman, gave me the recipe.

I'm still a bit partial, though, to puttu with sugar and ghee which is what Mom used to make when I was growing up.....and no, haven't yet acquired a taste for plantain mashed into puttu which is another way of eating it!

I felt like having the kadala curry today for lunch, and had no intention of making the puttu which (for me) involves a lot of work. So I cooked the chickpeas but just as I started on the masala bit, we lost power.

Luckily I already had some coconut grated with cumin and green chillies in the fridge, left over from another dish. So I decided to use that and then change the recipe to accomodate the other ingredients without the usual roasting and grinding.

The onions which are usually roasted and ground went in grated. The tomatoes followed suit, though I could have just chopped it finely. The cloves and garlic went in whole at the beginning and the red chillies and coriander seeds were replaced by powders. I added ginger garlic paste instead of grinding them.

I fried all the ingredients a little more than if they would have been roasted including the coconut paste. The gravy needed some more tang I thought, so I added a spoon of tamarind extract just to give it that extra something. Perfect.

I wasn't very sure about how thw changed recipe would taste, but the thought of thinking up another dish was enough to put me off - and of course, I just HAD to have kadala curry!

Well, it did taste like kadala curry - different since the spices and coconut weren't roasted, but delicious in it's own way.

This is the recipe I usually use.

Kadala Curry (Black chickpeas in coconut curry)

Ingredients:

Black chickpeas (kadala/kala channa) - 3/4th of a cup, soaked overnight and then pressure cooked for 20 minutes till soft.

Mustard - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - handful

Onions - 1 sliced

Masala paste:
Onion - 1 small
Tomatoes - 2 medium chopped
Ginger - 1" piece
Garlic - 2 cloves
Cumin - 1 tsp
Black peppercorn
Red chillies - 4
Dhania - 1 tbsp
Coconut - 1/2 cup grated
Clove - 2
Cinnamon - 1 " piece

1. Roast the ingredients of the masala pastes (except the onion and tomatoes) on a low heat till they change colour and are well roasted. Add the coconut last and when it turns brown, then add the onions first and lastly the tomatoes. Cool and grind to a smooth paste.

2. Heat oil in a heavy pan, add the mustard seeds and when they splutter, the curry leaves. Then fry the sliced onions till they are translucent.Put in the masala paste, fry for 1 minute, add the cooked chickpeas and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, add salt and let simmer for about 10 minutes till it becomes a thick curry.

3. Serve hot with puttu, appam or rice.

This dish is going to My Legume Love Affair - an event being hosted by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook. As she so rightly points out....

"Legumes are consumed and revered in every culture that has the arable land to cultivate them on. Chock full of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, they are one of the natural wonders of the plant kingdom and a staple where meat, fish or dairy are scarce. They are also the banner diet of many a staunch vegetarian and vegan, offering myriad options in flavor, shape, color and texture, fending off the notion that alternative lifestyles need be boring."

Chollia Aloo (Fresh Chickpeas and Potatoes)

Fresh Chickpeas(Kabuli Chana) or Hara Chollia / Green Garbanzo Beans is something I have only heard of and read in recipe books. Until I came to Delhi.

Last week as I went about the local market, I saw a packet of this and asked the vendor what it was, he said "Chollia" and a light went off in my head!

It's funny, but having seen only dried chickpeas all my life, I had to actually introduce the concept in my head of chana being something else before they were dried!I had never thought of them being fresh and like peas before.....

Nutrition wise though, they are as packed with phosphate, folates, folic acid,calcium, vitamin B and iron as their dried counterparts. They are low in fat, calories and sodium and high in dietary fibre. Read more here.

So, here I was the next morning, with the fresh green chickpeas in front of me, and not a clue about what to do - too little time in the morning to start a marathon search on the internet and the only recipe I had in my books,called for paneer. Which I didn't feel like having for lunch that day.

I figured I couldn't go wrong with potatoes, so that's what got cooked - Chollia Aloo....don't need to say much about this simple recipe, except that the green chickpeas tasted so much different from dried chickpeas and made the dish really delicious!

Chollia Aloo

Ingredients:

Hara Chollia (Green Garbanzo beans/ Fresh Chickpeas) - 1 cup

Potatoes - 4-5 medium sized, boiled and peeled

Tomatoes - 3-4 medium chopped fine or pureed

Onions - 2 big finely chopped

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Chopped coriander - 1/4 cup

Salt to taste.

Method:

1. Dice boiled potatoes.

2. Heat oil in a kadai (wok) and add cumin seeds, when they change colour, add the onions and saute till golden.

3. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 minute, then add the turmeric powder,chilli powder and coriander powder and fry for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add tomatoes and fry on a low flame for about 6-8 minutes, constantly stirring so that it doesn't stick to the bottom. Add half a tsp of oil if it still sticks. The mixture should come together and leave the sides of the pan and be almost brown in colour - but NOT burnt.

5. Now, add 1 cup of water, salt, the potatoes and the chollia and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low flame for about 3-4 minutes.

6. Check seasoning and gravy consistency, adding upto 1/2 cup water.

7. Add the garam masala. simmer 1 minute,then add the chopped coriander; remove from the flame and pour into serving dish.

8. Serve hot with rotis.

Winter Warmer Casserole

Delhi's winter is really kicking in and I can't get over how cold it is! It makes me crave for hot soups and hot meals. Don't fancy spending too long in the kitchen either and too many dishes mean that one cools before the other comes to the table. Solution - a one pot meal - steaming hot straight from the stove/oven to the table!


So I set about looking for a one pot recipe and came across casseroles - something which I wanted to make for a long time but didn't seem to find a suitable recipe.I would read recipes for "Green Bean Casserole" and realize that there was actually just green beans in it with some milk and butter and some soup straight out of a soup can all baked together....we are so used to having vegetables cooked in a variety of ways with spices and tempering that this concept was a bit difficult to understand. But this time I was determined to make this dish my own.


I have a cookbook called "50 and Holding Ozark Cookbook " - sent by a dear friend in the US. It has all sorts of recipes in it, all contributed by the members of the 50 and Holding Club and the community of Climax Springs, Missouri. It is divided into different sections, with blank pages at the end of each section for you to make notes on; at the back of the book in addition to the glossary of cooking terms, there are nutrition and calorie tables, a table for cooking vegetables showing the way to prepare each vegetable(wash,cut,peel etc),cooking time; cuts of meat and serving portions according to weight and a very interesting table on what herbs and spices to use for cooking various vegetables and meats in different ways.

While most of the recipes are traditional American dishes and local homestyle cooking and include such doozies as "how to cook 'coon", I really enjoyed reading this book and all its tips and notes! None of the recipes had more then 10 ingredients and most recipes were about 10-15 lines long


Well, anyway,all of the vegetarian casseroles in it were accompaniments and not one pot meals. So I read through the cabbage casserole, the corn casserole and the winter vegetables casserole....and then I improvised.....


......and this is what I came up with - a hearty one dish meal which incorporated some cooked rice, pasta sauce out of a jar (which I needed to finish because I didn't like it enough to use in pasta), potatoes, cabbage,cauliflower,green garbanzo beans,sweet corn soup from a can (which I got free with something and will never use otherwise), cream cheese, milk and lots of crushed black peppercorns. Come to think of it, maybe it would be better to call this dish "Pantry Clean up"!


The rice really made this substantial without the heaviness of the usual baked pasta dishes.


Cream cheese can be substituted with sour cream or even cheese spread.

Pasta sauce can be replaced with tomato puree (about 4 tbsp should do).

Milk is optional and I added it to make sure the whole dish remained moist and did not dry out.

Try other vegetables like mushroom,spinach, peas,peppers and even fresh sweetcorn - they should do well in this dish.

If you don't fancy whole cabbage leaves in the dish, shred the leaves after cooking.

Winter Warmer Casserole

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 4 medium peeled and sliced thinly

Onion - 1 big sliced

Cabbage - 4 whole big leaves washed well

Hara Chollia (Green garbanzo beans) - 1/2 cup parboiled

Sweet corn soup (tinned) - 1 cup

Cauliflower - 1 cup florets

Cooked rice - 1 cup (preferably a day old)

Pasta Sauce - 6 tablespoons (Or use tomato puree 4 tbsp)

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Mixed dried herbs - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Cream cheese - 5 tbsp

Milk - 1/4 cup (optional)

Freshly crushed black peppercorns - 2-3 tbsp

Method:

1. Take the sliced potatoes and put them into boiling water in a large vessel with a tsp of salt in it. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the whole cabbage leaves and press till they are immersed in the water and cook another 5 minutes. Check whether the potatoes and cabbage are just cooked. Drain the water and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic and then the onions, saute for 5 minutes till the onions are transluscent.

3. Add the chilli powder and cumin powder, then the capsicum,cauliflowers and parboiled chollia and stir fry on high for 3-4 minutes till they are just cooked. Add the pasta sauce/tomato puree at this stage and cook for a couple of minutes more.

4. Add the cooked rice and sweet corn soup,mix well and cook further for 3-4 minutes, then add the dried herbs, salt and 1 tbsp of crushed peppercorns. Turn off the flame and keep warm.

5. Take a casserole or an oven proof dish and lightly grease the insides. Take two of the cabbage leaves and place it at the bottom side by side covering as much of the dish as possible.

6. Place half the potato slices over the cabbage leaves in a single layer. Roughly spread about 2.5 tbsp of cream cheese over the potato slices.

7. Spoon the entire cooked rice and sweet corn mixture over the potato slices.

8. Place remaining potato slices in a single layer over the rice mixture.

9. Spread the remaining cream cheese over the potato slices and cover with the other 2 cabbage leaves

10. Pour milk over the whole mixture and sprinkle 1 tbsp of the crushed pepper all over.

11. Bake in a pre heated oven for about 30 minutes at 180C / 350 F.

12. Serve hot with bread or on its own.