Category Archives: main dishes

cooked, main dishes

Asparagus Mashed Potatoes

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I have to admit I wasn’t very familiar with asparagus, until my taste buds got to taste some very well prepared bits of this rather luxurious vegetable. I was pretty fascinated not only about the taste, but also the texture and colour.

And so I had to try some at home, this time using ghee instead of butter and a few of my latest favourite flavourings that match well with the starchiness of the potatoes – the chosen accompanying veggie. It goes like this:

I cut the potatoes in medium to small pieces and put it to boil with salt and turmeric. In a large pan I gently fried very fine chopped ginger and garlic along with a spoonful of green curry. Everything in ghee. I added the asparagus (partially peeled and cut in half) and continued to sautée everything together with a bit of water over medium heat. Meanwhile, the potatoes were almost ready and so I poured almost all their water out and put it aside. When the asparagus was fairly tender I mixed it with the potatoes and their remaining liquid and left it to cook for a few minutes more. I seasoned it with kaffir lime powder and, at the end with fresh melissa and rucola leaves and spring onions. Some lemon zest or a juicy green salad goes together perfectly. The combination turned out delicious, filling and yet subtle in taste! hope you’ll like it too 🙂

list of ingredients:

  • potatoes
  • asparagus
  • ghee
  • turmeric
  • ginger
  • garlic
  • green curry
  • kaffir lime powder
  • melissa & rucola leaves (optional)
  • spring onions
  • lemon

 

cooked, main dishes, salads

Chana Masala Salad with Dried Tomatoes

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This is the simpler version of the Chana Masala, a rather sophisticated dish that might require some time when all things are done from scratch. So, this one goes to all of you who are new into Indian cooking and still want your leafy veggies in your plate 🙂

You start by cooking the chickpeas over the pressure cooker, adding a piece of whole cinnamon, cumin seeds and salt. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the yummy stuff: cut the onions finely, make a ginger garlic cream (simply mix it together with an immersion blender and a tad of water), slice half of a chilly and some dried tomatoes (if they’re hard, make sure you hydrate them in advance).

When your chickpeas are ready, put them aside to rest and fry the onions, the garlic-ginger cream and chillies with little oil and salt (use a skillet pan or a wok for that). When their water evaporates, add some chickpeas stock, sprinkle ground cumin and cinnamon, stir well and leave them to cook for a bit. Then add the chickpeas (a bit more stock is fine as well) and stir over the fire for another 5 to 10 minutes. You can use a fork or a special utensil to crush some of the beans.

Now the last details: take out the seeds of a pomegranate and prepare the fresh leaves you want to use – it can be spinach, kale, coriander, etc. When the chickpeas are not so hot anymore, mix everything together and, if you feel like, add some olive oil & lemon and sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

cooked, dressings, main dishes

Cashew Dipped Pleurotus with Veggies

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Best recipes never come alone. They come with friends, with ‘no-plans’ evenings and intuition boosts. This one started from Li’s proposal to make some vegan tripe soup, a supposedly superdelicious substitute dish for the original one. Not that I’d have any idea about the resembling taste… okay let’s do it!

That being said, we haven’t cared much about the recipe and basically wove around what was in the fridge. Back home, after one or two more experiments likewise, I ended up with this beautiful yellowish sauté, where leek slices, celery shreds and squash pieces are mildly spiced and dipped together with pleurotus in a rich cashew cream. Here’s how it goes:

Turn the veggies in the size you wish them to be, having in mind the texture you want to create. Being essentially a stir-fry, it won’t stay more than 15-20min over the fire, so move quickly.

Prepare the cashew cream by mixing soaked cashew nuts with water, lemon and salt in a high power blender.

Prepare the seasoning: crush a few cloves of garlic, cut in very fine pieces some ginger and ground some pepper. Now fry them in little oil and be sure they won’t stay as long as to be making a crust. Scramble in your favorite kind of tofu cut in small pieces (I used smoked tofu) and sprinkle pepper and turmeric and/or chilly flakes, if you wish.

Immediately after add the mushrooms and cover until they turn watery. Remove the lid and cook 5 minutes more, then add celery, leek and only at the end, squash. Stir gently from time to time to keep texture firm. Pour the cashew cream and serve with kale or spinach leaves and optional, slices of raw red onions. Squeeze more lemon to your taste. Enjoy!

 

 

 

cooked, dressings, main dishes

Steamed Roots in Mustard Sauce

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The recipe I’m going to share with you makes it perfect for a local based meal during the cold season. Relying solely on our veggies – those belonging to the temperate climate – shouldn’t make of you a kind of an abstemious person, neither put you in a dilemma each time you want to cook. All you need is to do is put that imagination to work!

So for this particular dish, beside collecting your fav roots, you should decide upon one delicious dressing. Here is what I’m using pretty often, with mustard as a main ingredient, in two versions:

  • steamed parsnip, mustard, cold pressed sunflower oil,  lemon, garlic & ginger
  • canned peas, mustard, cold pressed sunflower oil, lemon, garlic & ginger

I also added broccoli, but I guess you can use any of his other relatives, such as cabbage or kohlrabi.

So top those steamed veggies with mustard sauce and get some new tastes going! 🙂

cooked, main dishes, salads

Kidney Bean Salad

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Each time my taste buds come in contact with a new combination of tastes, I’m completely drawn to re-creating and further improvising on the alchemy.  Was the same case with this great salad proudly introduced by my uncle back in summer. Firstly, I made it vegan (it did contain fish) and secondly, I kept introducing ingredients that would suit – color wise and texture wise – the base of the dish made out of kidney beans. Which by means of richness makes it totally a main dish, though by means of the preparation process is as simple as a salad.

All you have to know is to give plenty of time to the boiling of the beans, so you have it tender, mingling nicely with the crisp veggies As always, pressure cooking is the best option. Also, pay attention to the juiciness of the composition as some of the ingredients – the beans and the dried tomatoes – may progressively suck in the dressing. A good moment to practice indulgence :))

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Below you have the list of ingredients, but feel free to make your own choices!

  • dried tomatoes (partially rehydrated)
  • red bell peppers
  • corn
  • red onions
  • parsley (or other greens)
  • black olives
  • olive oil
  • lemon
  • balsamic vinegar
  • ground pepper and/or coriander
  • garlic (in moderate amount)
  • sesame seeds & sprouts (optional)
cooked, main dishes

Jeweled Rice

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Not that I’d have a special insight into Persian kitchen, but this recipe appealed to me so much, that I decided to simply let myself inspired by its flavors and colors.

And it’s wasn’t difficult at all 🙂 I used the raw pieces of cinnamon and cardamon and a handful of pumpkin seeds to boil them over the pressure cooker along with the basmati rice . When the cooker cooled out enough, I transferred the rice into a bowl and immediately added the orange blossom water and the hot saffron water so there’s enough fluffiness while for adding the rest of the ingredients. As they follow:

  • freshly grated carrots
  • a handful of cranberries and a few raisins
  • more pumpkin seeds, soaked or pistacchio
  • pomegranate seeds
  • ghee (look for organic one)
  • 7 spices mix (you can do it yourself, just put an emphasis on cinnamon)
  • grated orange peel on top

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For serving I used fresh leaves of lettuce and sorrel, for its sour lemony taste. That’s about it. The result was a true delight of hues and flavors, that revealed one by one, just like the motifs of an arabesque unfold to their true depth as you look further more.

cooked, main dishes

Coconut Chana Masala

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Introducing: favorite Indian dish cooked on European land! Because we cannot compare the flavors and the vibe of the food when here or there…each one is quite unique!

Nevertheless, I have to admit that the preparation of this one here turned out pretty authentic. Had I grated a real coconut, it would’ve been so much more Indian! But sometimes I get lazy when it comes to break open hard shells 🙂 So because the grated coconut I bought was an average one, I decided to mix it with a good coconut milk. That should work!

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First of all, here’s the inspiration for my preparation (thanks Radu!)

I won’t go through all the steps myself, as you already have it crystal clear in the recipe above. My only piece of advice is not to get stuck if one spice or another doesn’t come handy, just use the most common ones. What really makes the difference here is making your own masala, grinding and roasting it properly.

P1080158 As such, I haven’t done the paste in a wet grinder, but added the spices & the grated coconut (roasted together) to the tomato-onion stir fry. Using more tomatoes ensured me with enough liquid for the time being. I then added the coconut milk along with the chickpeas and brought it to the boil once more.

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Warning: the result it’s dangerously delicious!

(and the roasting pan for the masala will still release the flavor next time you use it :))

I sprinkled parsley instead of coriander leaves on top, and served it next to a summer salad made out of lettuce, cauliflower rice, red peppers and sunflower sprouts. Trust me, you’ll need even more leaves…

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list of ingredients

_the fresh masala_

  • cinnamon bark
  • fennel
  • cumin
  • coriander
  • dry red chilies
  • cloves
  • black cardamom
  • green cardamom
  • black pepper
  • stone flower
    _the rest_
    • chickpeas
    • grated coconut
    • coconut milk
    • cooking oil
    •  bay leaf
    •  mustard seeds
    •  curry leaves
    •  onions
    •  tomatoes
    •  turmeric
    •  ginger
    •  garlic
    •  green chillies
    • salt
cooked, main dishes

Rajma aka Beans

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There’s nothing more straightforward than beans – it’s filling, protein packed and extremely savory. The connaisseurs will tell you all of these at once, plus emphasizing the lusciousness of the rightly cooked dishes. The nutritionists will point out at the high levels of minerals, fiber and even antioxidants.

I have to admit that I wasn’t a big fan of the average white beans and most of the times I use to find it kind of heavy for digestion – in any case, heavier than lentils or chickpeas. However, discovering the red kidney beans and the black beans shaped my experience into a whole new thing. They both seem to absorb flavors really well and thus able to stand out with amazing cooked dishes and salads.

For now, I choose a popular Indian Rajma recipe, fairly easy to prepare and equally delicious, inspired from the Punjabi cuisine.

As with any beans, soaking for at least 8 hours is a must. If you have a pressure cooker, do use it now! It will turn your beans so soft and tender that you’ll completely leave behind the time consuming boiling method. Be aware that some of the beans will open up while cooking.

Now prepare the base: heat a bit of oil in a pan and saute (in this order) one bay leaf, cumin seeds, chopped onions, grated ginger & garlic and tomato puree (or simply cut in small cubes).  Stir continuously until the water evaporates. You can choose to incorporate peppers (as I did) or carrots, but make sure that in the end they’ll turn out with the same smooth texture as the rest of the dish.

Before adding the rajma along with its water, sprinkle the powders (chilly, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala – the hottest one you have) and mix well until all flavors come together, including salt.The water from the beans will absorb this beautiful gravy and render its distinctive flavor to the dish.

For a special serving, add some fresh mint at the end!

list of ingredients

  • red kidney beans
  • cooking oil
  • bay leaf
  • cumin seeds & ground cumin
  • onions
  • garlic & ginger
  • tomatoes
  • turmeric
  • ground coriander
  • garam masala
  • salt
  • fresh mint
cooked, main dishes

Indian Potatoes Crush

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Indian food…mmmm! I admit I have a crush. And it’s actually a crush on spices and enhanced flavors that I’m infatuated about. Although my eyes haven’t dropped on any reliable health claim on the methods of heating up the spices, my experience is that as long as it’s not oil & starch overloaded and of course, not in big quantities (which can be a bit tricky due to the typical thali ‘refill’ 🙂 traditional Indian food feels good in the body.

So let’s have a look at how spices can add up to such a common dish as potatoes.

First of all, any introduction to Indian cooking involves getting acquainted to chillies, onion, garlic, ginger, coconut & a lot of whole and ground spices. And subsequently to frying them at high heat in a drop of oil (not always, but most usual). The order in the pan starts with the tougher spices (cinnamon bark, star anise, cloves, black pepper, dried red chillies), followed by the seeds (mustard, cumin, fennel, coriander, nigella, etc) so by the time they start popping, they can all be incorporated with the onions (together with fresh chillies, garlic, ginger and so on). One must pay a lot of attention not to burn the spices, at least until the onions step in. The last ones to come are the ground spices, the powders (turmeric, cumin, coriander, different masalas, etc)

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Once you develop the skills, you can start playing 🙂 Here I used a combination of black mustard, cumin, fennel & nigella seeds with chilly flakes, onions, ground turmeric and cumin. When the base was getting ready – the onions turning yellowish – I added the new potatoes, previously halved and boiled in salted turmeric water. Cook everything together for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Now bring some European touch to it 😛 chop some fresh coriander, spinach or spring onions and peel some carrot slices to balance the taste and make it look even better!

list of ingredients

  • (new) potatoes
  • onions
  • mustard seeds
  • nigella seeds
  • fennel seeds
  • chilly flakes (fresh ones as well)
  • ground turmeric
  • ground cumin
  • cooking oil
  • salt
  • fresh coriander/ spinach/ spring onions/ carrot
cooked, main dishes

Coconut Black Rice

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There’s something alluring about coconut and rice and peanuts. Maybe it’s the Indian feel of it or maybe it’s just this exquisite combination of tastes that’s relishable for most of us. After discovering the nutty flavor of black rice, I’ve decided to try out my own recipe.

And of course I couldn’t stop going all the way ‘Indian’ with the spices. Thus I started with the traditional speed frying of cumin seeds and grated ginger (about 5 minutes in a drop of olive oil) meant to release their flavor and create the base for the food. I’ve then added a bit of water and left it to cook for another 5 minutes. The next step involves mixing  it thoroughly with the boiled rice and adding coconut cream & peanuts (previously roasted in a simple pan, without any other add-ons). If by any chance you happen to have cinnamon leaves, don’t hesitate to make them the secret ingredient of your rice preparation!

All you are left to do now is see how much lemon juice it takes to balance the creaminess of the coconut. I chose to serve it on lettuce leaves and garnish it with shredded coconut, just so that the people could get the right hint of what’s going on in their plates 😉

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list of ingredients

  • black rice
  • roasted peanuts
  • coconut cream
  • olive oil
  • cumin seeds
  • grated ginger
  • lemon juice

optional

  • lettuce leaves
  • shredded coconut