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IndianKidsRecipesSpiritual TreasuresVegan

A Mindfulness Jar, & My Khichadi recipe

Happy Mindful & Meatless Monday!

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend.

My weekend was busy, and yet it gave me energy for the week ahead.
On Saturday I had the opportunity along with a few other reiki practitioners, to assist at a special event called “The Lover & the Beloved” hosted by Surreina Gallegos Gerbman and Stella Davies at YogaWorks in Westlake Village, CA. Here is our happy group of “reiki hands”…
reiki

If you are not familiar with reiki check out this site for some general information:
http://www.reiki.org/FAQ/WhatIsReiki.html

Reiki was first introduced to me by my beautiful friend Jenni.
It has been instrumental in controlling my psoriasis (along with following a plant-based eating regimen). I was so inspired by what it had done for me personally, I completed my Reiki 1 & 2 training last year, and I look forward to continuing my journey to receive my “master” this year.
If you haven’t tried reiki, I highly recommend putting it on your to-do list.

On Sunday the twins and I had fun at a kid’s birthday party, and then I went for a date with my hubby. I always love getting a date night in on the weekends. Weekdays are full of adventures with the kiddos, and it’s lovely to slow down and enjoy those sweet moments with each other without interruption.:-) We had dinner and saw Black Panther – which has set a box office record this weekend as the biggest February debut ever! I’m a total sucker for Marvel movies, popcorn, and I’m a big fan of the movie theater experience – so good times all around!

Earlier during the week I was trying to get into the rhythm of taking the twins to and from their extra curricular activities that we recently signed up for. I had forgotten how challenging this could be, my older two are driving and with one in college you tend to “forget” the driving and planning involved in running kids around to activities.
My 4 year old boy really wanted to play soccer, so we are currently giving that a go for him. As I was sitting with his twin sister watching him run around the field with his ball at practice, I was jarred out of my “just chill on the blanket and take a breath” moment by a fellow mom. She was yelling at her son that was crying – “Stop that! You sound like a teenage girl!” Now my tired ass is seeing red immediately. I’m thinking are you f’ing kidding me? But then I hear Tony Robbins voice in my head (I’m currently reading “Awaken the Giant Within”)…are you feeling angry or disappointed? Ok Tony, disappointed. Checking in with myself lowered the intensity of my emotional state, and I took a deep breath.
I was reminded of the Gloria Steinem quote “I’m glad we’ve begun to raise our daughters more like our sons – but it will never work until we raise our sons more like our daughters.”

While I think it would have been inappropriate for me to run up and try to “educate” the mom who was doing the yelling, having a conversation about it with my 4 year old girl was a must. “That mommy is so silly – Mary (her 16 year old sister) is a teenage girl, does she cry like that?”

The change starts with us Moms (and Dads too), please let’s not be passive about this! We have the power to influence the next generation of humans, let’s not leave it to culture and a gender stereotyping media.

Which brings me to this Mindfulness Jar project I did with the twins this week. A weird side note..these jars somehow remind me of one of my favorite toys as a kid called Fluid Fantasy by Whamm-O.
The jar is a great sensory tool that teaches kids how mindfulness can help calm us down when we are in an angry, sad, or upset state.
When you shake up the jar and all that glitter is whirling around this is how our mind is when we are angry – we can’t see clearly. When we can’t see clearly we can say or do the wrong things. See how the glitter starts to settle to the bottom of the jar and you can see clearly through the jar? Our minds are like this – if we take the time to settle our minds by practicing mindfulness (breath work, taking a run, etc) when we are angry or upset, we are able to think clearly and make better decisions.
Using recycled jars is a great idea, I just didn’t have any on hand.
The plumber’s tape is a must. We made one and tried to just hot glue the lid – glitter water disaster. Also, using distilled water keeps your water from getting funky later.
mindfuljarstuff
Wrap the plumber’s tape around the top of the lid of the jar.
mindfuljartape
Add the distilled water almost to the top of the jar and then pour it into a small pot and warm it up with the glitter glue.
Using a whisk mix the water and glitter glue until combined.
Mindfuljargluewaterjpg
Pour the mixture into the jar
and add a few drops of glycerin (which slows down the glitter).
Set the jar aside to cool off completely.
When the water has reached room temperature (jar is cool to the touch), have the kids add some glitter.
glitterinjar
Screw the lid on tightly.
Shake it up and enjoy!
Here is what ours look like:
Mindfuljar

Now to the Khichadi/Kitchari recipe. I love one-pot meals, and one of my favorites is Khichadi . It’s an Indian dish I grew up with, which can be described as a savory porridge made of lentils and rice.
It’s got that warm, mushy, comforting vibe – but it’s healthy, a classic Ayurvedic dish which is easy to digest and nourishing.
You can switch up the veggies. I like to use cauliflower cut into small pieces, as well as butternut squash too. This one features peas & carrots.
You can soak the lentils overnight to improve the digestive qualities of Khichadi (if you have a tendency towards gas and bloating), but I never seem to remember.
khichadi
Ingredients
2 to 4 Tablespoons – melted coconut oil or ghee
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup onion, small dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, peeled and grated with microplane
1 cup Basmati rice (rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup moong dal/split yellow mung beans (rinsed and drained)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
4 cups vegetable broth
1 to 2 tsp Himalayan pink salt or to taste
Large handful of cilantro, finely chop leaves (some tender stems ok)
Method
Heat oil over med/low heat in a 3 qt pot.
Add cumin seeds, stir.
When the seeds start to pop (after about 30 sec), add onion.
Cook stirring frequently until onions are slightly golden around the edges.
Add garlic and ginger, stir.
Add rice and lentils, stirring and scrapping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to remove any ginger that has begun to stick and ingredients are combined.
Add spices, stirring to coat the rice and lentils with the spices.
Add vegetable broth and salt, stir.
Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer.
Add carrots and peas, stir. Bring contents of pot back to a simmer.
Reduce heat to low and cover.
Cook for 45 minutes, until rice mashes easily with a fork.
Stir in cilantro. Serve.
Add a dollop of Earth Balance, Ghee, or Indian pickle if desired on top of the individual serving.

Hope your week is beautiful!
Peas & Love,
Sadhna

   

IndianKidsRecipesSpiritual TreasuresVegan

Gratitude & my Chana Dal recipe

Happy Mindful & Meatless Monday!
Thankful the flu bug that had us housebound the past two weeks is finally gone.
I found some time to get back in the kitchen and work out the kinks for a chana dal recipe that I think you’re going to really enjoy. It’s got enough going on with the spices to make it exotic, but then again it’s tamed enough by the coconut milk that everyone can enjoy it. You can skip over my ramblings to find the recipe below. 🙂

As I mentioned above not a whole lot was going on in the Sheli household except for “cabin fever” last week. “Thank the maker” for Amazon Prime…my first ever Kindle arrived and made being “stuck” in the house far less painful. If you are a reader and sitting on the fence about getting one – get one.
I’m not always comfortable using my phone when the twins (4 yrs) are around, but the Kindle – no problem. I just say “I’m reading a book.”, and they come check it out and then go about their business.
It’s compact and lightweight too – fits in my purse.
I burned through Carrie Fisher’s “The Princess Diarist” in two evenings. I was excited to get my hands on this book (so to speak) from the moment it came out. If you don’t already know, I am a total Star Wars geek.

Check out my t-shirt I got from my oldest girl over the holidays:
Leiatshirt

Anyway, this book was more than just a peek into behind the scenes of the movie (which made me seriously giddy), there were some real life issues (that many of us can relate to) up close and personal.
#1 Carrie is a child of divorce (like me and I suspect many of you) and at one point in the book she says “So it stood to reason that if I could disappoint my own father – if I couldn’t get my own father to love me enough to stick around or, God forbid, visit more often than one day a year – how was I ever going to get a man who didn’t have to love me like daddies were supposed to?” How f’ing deep is that? Went straight to the bone for me.
Having that lack of having my father in my life definitely shaped me into the person I became as a young woman and the choices I made in men back then. I’m ever grateful for therapy, a bit of luck and divine intervention that for marriage number two I made a beautiful choice in a wonderful, caring, and kick-ass husband.
#2 Age, cameras, and loving your body right now.
My hubby and I were watching an episode of “The Crown” this week and “Winston Churchill” was distraught by the image of himself an artist had painted. It was not the image of him in his prime, but of who he was right then and there in that moment of his life. He didn’t want to see himself that way, it was uncomfortable and distressing – he eventually burns the image.
So, then I’m reading Carrie Fisher’s book and in it she talks about this image thing.
“I didn’t like my face when I should have and now that it’s melted, I look back on that face fondly.”
Hello yes, I could totally relate!
Especially that ex-model part of me. The perfectionist me. The I’ve had 4 kids and ain’t nothing going to ever look the same part of me.
So, thanks to Carrie for being so kind as to bring things out into the light that many of us are feeling/thinking but don’t have the balls or self awareness to say ourselves.

Which brings me to “gratitude”.
I was looking for a way to practice gratitude with the twins (4yrs) and after a Google search for “practicing gratitude”, many things came up – but these jars really caught my eye.
I thought what a great concept, something tangible for the twins to help them focus on what is good in their lives – as well as a fantastic tool for us grown folks to create an awareness of what we are grateful for in our lives. I can’t wait to look back at the end of the year and read all the little slips of paper.

My sweetheart of a 16 year old found this great jar for us:
GratitudeJar

Finally we get to the Chana Dal recipe. Soaking the dal overnight, or at least an hour if you can swing it cuts the cooking time. This dal maintains a bit of it’s texture unlike some of the others that tend to “melt” during the cooking process. The term “tadka” means spices fried in oil/ghee (to enhance their flavor). My recipe calls for 1 dried red chili, you can add more if you like it spicy. I discard the chili after the cooking process.

chanadal
Chana Dal
1 cup Chana dal (Desi Chickpeas or Bengal Gram) soaked overnight, or for 1 hour
6 cups vegetable broth
1 tbl ginger grated with a microplane
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt

For the Tadka
1/2 tsp fenugreek powder
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
Mix above 3 ingredients with just enough water to form a paste
3 tbl coconut oil (melted)
1 dried red chili (or more if you like heat)
1/2 cup onions, diced

Finishing
1 can coconut milk (I used Trader Joe’s organic)
1/4 cup packed cilantro

Rinse soaked dal, drain and set aside.
Bring 6 cups of vegetable broth to boil in a medium pot.
Add dal, ginger, garlic, turmeric, and salt.
Stir.
Reduce heat to medium-low.
Cook for roughly one hour (stirring occasionally) until dal mashes easily between your fingers.
Tadka:
In a small skillet heat coconut oil over medium heat.
Add red chili, and onions.
Sauté stirring frequently until onions are golden brown.
Add spice paste and stir constantly for 30 seconds, remove from heat.
Add onion spice mixture to the cooked dal.
Stir in the coconut milk.
Stir in the cilantro.
Serve over rice, with tortillas or an Indian flatbread, or on it’s own. Enjoy!

Have a great week!
Peas & Love,
Sadhna

   

IndianVeganVegetarian

Meatless Monday – Cabbage with Black Cumin Seeds and Golden Raisins

This is one of those super quick and delicious ways to prepare cabbage.
Love this served over a bed of brown rice, or with lentils on the side. Spices are mild, just enough to give a boost of flavor. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Ghee
1/4 teaspoon black cumin seeds
1/4 of a serrano chili pepper deseeded (optional)
1 10oz bag shredded cabbage (I got mine at Trader Joe’s)
1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated with a microplane
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Salt to taste
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. In a large skillet heat ghee over medium heat.
2. Add cumin seeds, chili, cabbage, and ginger. Stir.
3. Add raisins, turmeric, and salt to taste. Cook 2 minutes.
4. Add cilantro, stir.
5. Cook one minute, stirring occasionally.
6. Serve and enjoy!

**Check out some of the items I used here by clicking on the Amazon link below. This link is an affiliate link, your purchase costs will be the same but The Masala Girl will automatically receive a small commission, thanks for your support. ?

   

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IndianVegetarian

Meatless Monday – Spinach with Garbanzo Beans, Indian Style

Arugula.jpg

I typically have frozen spinach and cans of garbanzos in my pantry, making this an easy fix for me. It’s just kissed with exotic spices to add flavor, and makes a hearty meal. You can eat it on it’s own, with rice, tortillas or flatbreads. Enjoy!

Ingredients
3 tablespoons melted ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated with a microplane
1 16 oz package of frozen spinach
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Dash of cayenne pepper
3 cloves of garlic, put through a garlic press, or finely minced
1 15oz can of garbanzo beans, rinsed (cold water) and drained in a colander

Instructions
1. In a large skillet heat ghee over medium heat.
2. Add cumin seeds.
3. When the cumin seeds start to “crackle” add onions.
4. Saute onions until golden.
5. Add ginger, stir
6. Add spinach, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, and garlic, stir to combine.
7. Add garbanzos, stir.
8. Add salt to taste.
9. Cook for roughly 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted and cooked through.
10. Serve and enjoy!

**Check out some of the items I used here by clicking on the Amazon link below. This link is an affiliate link, your purchase costs will be the same but The Masala Girl will automatically receive a small commission, thanks for your support. 🙂

   

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IndianVegetarian

Meatless Monday – Palak Paneer (Spinach with Cheese and Indian Spices)

This is one of my all time favorite dishes. I love the velvety creamy spinach turned mildly exotic with spices, and the marinated paneer that has been fried so the outside is crunchy/spicey but it’s still moist and tender inside. I got the idea of marinating the paneer when I saw my twins gobbling up tofu at our favorite “fast food” Mex place. Marinating the paneer definitely takes this dish to a whole other level of delicious. There are a few steps to making this, but it’s not tedious. In fact you could do the prep for the spinach and paneer the night before, to make it easier to cook on a weeknight. Comes together in about an hour. Enjoy!

Ingredients
11⁄2 cups paneer, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon oil of choice
1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric
1⁄2 teaspoon garam masala
Dash of cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt, or salt to taste
Large bowl of ice water
3 6oz bags of fresh spinach (makes roughly 2 cups when cooked/wilted)
1 tablespoon oil of choice
2 tablespoons ghee
Bay leaf
1 cup of onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped or grated with microplane
1⁄2 teaspoon ginger, finely grated with a microplane
1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric
1⁄2 teaspoon cumin powder
1⁄2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 cup of tomatoes, pureed in a blender or food processor
1 teaspoon pink salt, or salt to taste
1⁄4 cup of heavy whipping cream

Instructions
1. In a medium sized bowl combine paneer with oil, turmeric, garam masala, cayenne pepper, and salt. Set aside.
2. Rinse spinach leaves.
3. In a large skillet working in batches, add spinach and cook until just wilted.
4. Immediately place spinach into cold iced water to stop the cooking process. Drain the water after 2 minutes.
5. Puree spinach in a blender or food processor. Set aside.
6. In a small skillet heat 1 tablespoon of oil.
7. Add paneer and cook stirring frequently until all sides are golden brown.
8. Remove from heat and place paneer onto a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
9. Heat ghee in large skillet over medium heat.
10. Add bay leaf.
11. Add onions, and stir.
12. Saute onions until golden brown.
13. Add garlic and ginger, stir.
14. Add turmeric, cumin, and coriander, stir to combine and cook for 30 seconds.
15. Add tomatoes, stir.
16. Add salt, stir.
17. Cook tomatoes until you see the fat separating from the tomatoes.
18. Add spinach, stir to combine.
19. Add cream, stir.
20. Fold in paneer.
21. Serve and enjoy!

**Check out some of the items I used here by clicking on the Amazon link below. This link is an affiliate link, your purchase costs will be the same but The Masala Girl will automatically receive a small commission, thanks for your support. 🙂

  


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IndianVeganVegetarian

Meatless Monday – Spaghetti with Chickpeas, Indian Style

We eat a lot of pasta in this house, and I’m always looking for a way to change it up to break the monotony. This is a tasty vegan spaghetti dish that my whole family enjoys – even the toddlers.I love adding chickpeas to my dishes as they are protein packed and make for a filling meal. I usually have a can hanging around in my pantry, so they are convenient too. Although it has curry powder in it, the curry flavor doesn’t overpower the dish – it’s more like a side note. Enjoy!

Ingredients
Roughly 1⁄2 of a 14.5 oz box of multigrain spaghetti
4 tablespoons oil of choice
11⁄2 cups red onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger, finely grated with a microplane
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped or put through a garlic press
1 tablespoon curry powder
1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons water
2 cups of canned diced tomatoes
Salt to taste (I used 2 teaspoons pink salt)
1 15oz can chickpeas
1⁄4 cup cilantro, stems removed and finely chopped
1 cup packed fresh spinach, washed and dried
1⁄2 cup boiling water

Instructions
1. Cook spaghetti in salted water according to package directions, drain and set aside.
2. In a small bowl add curry powder, turmeric, and water to form a paste.
3. In a large skillet heat oil over medium-low heat.
4. Add onions.
5. Saute stirring frequently, until onions are soft and just starting to brown, about 15 minutes.
6. Add ginger and garlic.
7. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
8. Add tomatoes, and salt, stir.
9. Increase heat to medium-high.
10. Cook tomato mixture stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.
11. Add chickpeas, and cilantro, stir.
12. Cook 2 minutes, add spinach.
13. Stir, and add 1⁄2 cup boiling water.
14. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
15. Remove from heat.
16. Enjoy!

**Check out some of the items I used here by clicking on the Amazon link below. This link is an affiliate link, your purchase costs will be the same but The Masala Girl will automatically receive a small commission, thanks for your support. 🙂

   

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IndianVegetarian

Meatless Monday – Sautéed Carrots with Garam Masala and Brown Sugar

I found this great bag of assorted organic carrots at Trader Joes, and wanted to make something simple the twins (almost 2) and I could enjoy with our lunch that was a step above ordinary cooked carrots. I love carrots with brown sugar, but I was really in the mood for something more on the savory side with just a hint of sweetness – garam masala to to the rescue! These totally hit the spot, and they are easy to make. Enjoy!

Ingredients
4 cups carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
1⁄4 cup water
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon ghee
1⁄2 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons golden raisins
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Instructions
1. Place carrots and water into a large skillet over high heat.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, add salt, and cook covered for about 10 minutes until carrots are just tender.
4. Remove cover, and increase heat to medium.
5. Add ghee, stir.
6. Cook until water evaporates, stirring occasionally.
7. Add brown sugar, stir.
8. Add garam masala, stir.
9. Add raisins, stir.
10. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
11. Remove from heat.
12. Add cilantro, stir.
13. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

**Check out some of the items I used here by clicking on the Amazon link below. This link is an affiliate link, your purchase costs will be the same but The Masala Girl will automatically receive a small commission, thanks for your support. 🙂

   


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IndianVeganVegetarian

Meatless Monday – Cabbage & Potatoes with Indian spices

desserts.jpg

I had some leftover cabbage and potatoes from St. Patrick’s Day, so I whipped up this exotic version of cabbage & potatoes with my Mom. It’s quick, easy, mildly spiced, healthy and delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons ghee, or oil of choice
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
4 medium potatoes, chopped into bite sized pieces
Salt to taste
1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric
1⁄2 teaspoon cumin powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 head of cabbage, quartered and roughly chopped into large pieces (discard the core)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated with a microplane
1⁄2 teaspoon Garam Masala

Instructions
1. In a large wok or large skillet heat ghee or oil over medium heat.
2. Add cumin seeds and stir until slightly browned, roughly 30 seconds.
3. Add potatoes, stir, and add salt.
4. Add turmeric, cumin powder and cayenne, stir and cover.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes stirring occasionally, until potatoes are almost fork tender.
6. Add cabbage, ginger, and Garam Masala.
7. Using two large spoons fold the cabbage mixture into the potatoes, until cabbage is well coated with spices. Add additional salt to taste if desired.
8. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.
9. Serve and enjoy!

**Check out some of the items I used here by clicking on the Amazon link below. This link is an affiliate link, your purchase costs will be the same but The Masala Girl will automatically receive a small commission, thanks for your support. 🙂

   


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IndianVeganVegetarian

Meatless Monday – Saag Dal (Spinach Lentils)

SaagDal-670x503.jpg

Have you ever smashed an entire peanut butter sized jar of turmeric on the floor? Good times let me tell you! My kitchen floor is so clean right now, you could eat off it. But, I digress…I’m always looking to sneak greens into my food, and this is definitely a tasty way to do it. My Noni (grandmother) used to make this, and I tried to do her justice here. 🙂 The moong dal is delicate, light, protein rich and infused with the flavors of ginger, garlic and earthy cumin – a perfect way to transform otherwise boring cooked spinach. Very simple to prepare, and tastes great on it’s own, or served with rice or flatbread. If you prefer a thinner consistency to your dal, add more boiling water. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 cup moong dal (split moong beans without husk) – rinsed and drained (remove any stones)
6 cups of water
1⁄2 cup onions
1⁄2 cup tomatoes, finely chopped
11⁄2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
1⁄2 tablespoon heaped fresh ginger, grated with a microplane
1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric
11⁄2 teaspoons Himalayan pink salt (or salt to taste)
1 cup frozen spinach
2 cups boiling water
4 tablespoons butter, ghee or coconut oil
1⁄2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 red dried chili (deseeded)
1⁄2 cup chopped onions
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1⁄2 cup tomatoes, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Rinse dal in colander until water runs clear about a minute or so.
  2. Bring six cups of water to a boil in saucepan.
  3. Add the rinsed dal, onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and salt.
  4. Cook uncovered over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Add frozen spinach and two cups of boiling water, stir.
  6. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  7. Remove from heat.
  8. In a skillet heat butter, ghee or coconut oil.
  9. Add cumin seeds, stir cook for for 1 minute or until cumin is light brown.
  10. Add red chili, stir.
  11. Add onions, stir.
  12. Cook until onions are reddish brown.
  13. Add cumin powder, stir.
  14. Add tomatoes. Stir frequently and cook until tomatoes are soft, and onion mixture begins to separate from the butter (ghee or coconut oil).
  15. Add onion mixture to dal, stir until combined and serve.

**Check out some of the items I used here by clicking on the Amazon link below. This link is an affiliate link, your purchase costs will be the same but The Masala Girl will automatically receive a small commission, thanks for your support. 🙂

   

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IndianVeganVegetarian

Meatless Monday – Curried Broccoli

Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables, and not only because of it’s great health benefits. Although I have eaten plenty of Indian vegetable dishes in my day, sadly broccoli has never been one of them. I decided to change that today by creating a curried broccoli. This dish takes what can at times be blah broccoli (you know the typical overcooked bland type) and gives it deep, earthy exotic notes from the spices, along with some complexity and freshness from the fire roasted tomatoes and added crunch from the cashews. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric
1⁄2 teaspoon cumin powder
1⁄2 teaspoon Garam Masala
2 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1⁄2 dried red chili, or dash of cayenne pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 cups onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped or grated with a microplane
1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped – or put through a garlic press
1⁄2 cup fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup boiling water
4 heaped cups broccoli
1 teaspoon pink salt, or salt to taste
1⁄4 cup roasted and salted cashew nuts, chopped into pieces

Instructions
1. Place turmeric, cumin powder, and garam masala in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons water, and stir to form a paste. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat.
3. Add chili.
4. Add cumin seeds.
5. When cumin seeds start to pop (roughly 30 seconds) add onions.
6. Saute onions until translucent and slightly golden, stirring occasionally.
7. Add ginger and garlic, stir.
8. Continue cooking onion mixture, stirring frequently until onions are reddish brown.
9. Add spice paste, stir.
10. Cook onion/spice mixture for one minute.
11. Add tomatoes, stir. Cook for 3 minutes.
12. Add 1 cup of boiling water, stir.
13. Add broccoli, stir to combine.
14. Sprinkle in salt.
15. Add cashew nuts, stir.
16. Cover and cook until broccoli is tender, stirring occasionally.
17. Serve and enjoy!

**Check out some of the items I used here by clicking on the Amazon link below. This link is an affiliate link, your purchase costs will be the same but The Masala Girl will automatically receive a small commission, thanks for your support. 🙂

   


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