Beta carotene powerhouse - the pumpkin

Pumpkins are naturally chock full of vitamins, anti -oxidants,alpha and beta carotene.They are low in fat and calories but exceptionally nutrient dense.Which means they are very good for you.Pumpkins are loaded with vitamin A, are a good source of vitamins C, K, and E, and lots of minerals, including magnesium, potassium, and iron.A single serving of pumpkin provides 245% of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin A!

I never ate pumpkin until I was married into S's family as we never cooked pumpkin at my mother's place.But I took one bite of this subtly flavored and gently stir fried dish and boy was I hooked onto it! Later when we moved to the US,I went pumpkin pie crazy and the holiday times were horrid.With all the pumpkin pies slowly helping me morph into a pumpkin myself!



But here's a healthier way to enjoy this vegetable(or is it a fruit?).After a quick Google search and was relieved to find that there were a zillion results with the same question.It's a fruit!
The pumpkin-y flavor in this dish is not overwhelmed with the spices and you can taste the goodness and natural sweetness of the caramelized pumpkin bits.Cubes of pumpkin are tempered with red chillies,cumin,mustard,curry leaves and wait.... the special ingredient that takes this dish to another level is jaggery.Have I ever told you just how much I love jaggery? I'm addicted to the stuff.I scrape off little portions from the block and nibble on them all day long.

What is jaggery? it's best that you don't know or you'll turn into an jaggery crazed monster like me.But I'll let you in on this little secret - it's way better than sugar.
From wikipeida and other sources - "This type of sugar is considered unrefined and is produced by boiling raw sugar cane or palm juice in iron pans. Because it does not go through additional processing, it retains some of the natural vitamins and minerals of the ingredients used.Many people consider jaggery healthier than more refined sugar since it is less stripped of natural nutrients.Although the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as `unrefined sugar from palm sap', the word jaggery is used for the products of both sugarcane and the palm tree. Jaggery is considered beneficial to health by the traditional medical system of Ayurveda."

Before this post turns into a story about my love for jaggery, let's get on to the recipe. This dish pairs well as a side for steamed rice and roti.Eat up and feel good!With all of that vitamin A I can see better already......now where did I put that pumpkin pie recipe......no don't worry I'll replace all the sugar with the jaggery.Evil me.

Recipe

Ingredients

250 gms or 1/2 lb of red pumpkin cubed
jaggery - a lime sized ball
2-3 red chillies broken and deseeded
2 tsp finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
6-8 curry leaves
a pinch of hing/asafoetida
1 tsp oil
salt to taste

Method

1)Remove the rind of the pumpkin and discard.Remove the seeds as well.Cube the pumpkin and rinse in water.
2)Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard,cumin seeds and red chillies.When they begin to splutter add the curry leaves, onion and hing.Saute until an aroma is given off and the onions are soft.
3)Add the pumpkin cubes and stir well so the tempering coats the veggie uniformly.Add the turmeric and salt to taste.Stir fry for about 1 min.
4)Add 1/4 cup of water.Cover and cook for 3 mins.(Or less if the pumpkin is tender).When the pumpkin is fork tender add the jaggery and bring to a boil.
The jaggery should melt and form a thick golden syrup.Be careful not to overcook the pumkin or it gets mushy and pasty. You want the cubes to still hold the shape inspite of being soft cooked.
5)Serve hot with rice or roti.

A simple lunch

Lunch at home typically consists of sambar,rice and a vegetable side.In this picture you're looking at drumstick sambar and curried yam.Today I'm going to share the recipe for the sambar.Best of all you don't need sambar powder for this one.You can make your own in a pinch!



Sambar is typically the main entree for most south Indian meals.It is a thick stew made with lentils,vegetables,coconut in some cases and spices such as chilli,turmeric,cumin,coriander and so on.The lentils are a rich source of protein and when eaten with rice gives you the benefit of a complete protein.Southerners in India are largely vegetarian.

You would typically find drumstick,brinjals,white pumpkin,radish and okra used as vegetables in a traditional sambar.That reminds me of a weird story I heard from my husband about a bachelor friend who makes his sambar with Brussels sprouts and broccoli!
That's as eclectic as bitter gourd lasagna to me.

What really brings out the authentic flavour of the sambar is the magical and fragrant curry leaf.It is a commonly grown plant with a hard woody stem and it's leaves are used widely in Indian cuisine.It also has various benefits.
Here's a picture of a fresh bunch of vibrant green curry leaves that I picked up from the market today.



Now everyone makes their own version of the sambar powder and you can even get some good store bought ones like MTR. This version really just uses some basic spices from your pantry and as the masalas/spices are fresh the sambar turns out real well. And no grinding as I don't use coconut in this version.

Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup split red gram dal (toor dal)
2 cups vegetables cut into slightly large pieces(drumsticks,brinjals,okra,white pumpkin)
4 cups water
1/2 onion chopped fine

Spices

1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp methi powder
a pinch of hing/asafoetida
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 lime sized ball of tamarind soaked in hot water for 1/2 hr or nuke in the microwave for 30 secs
1 tomato cut into 8 pieces
10-12 curry leaves
2 tsp peanut oil

Method

1)Pressure cook the dal with 2 cups of water with a pinch of turmeric and a few drops of oil. Let it cook for 1 whistle and then simmer and cook on low heat for 5 mins more.Let the pressure completely die down before you venture into opening the cooker lid.
2)Once the dal is cooked you can start with the tadka.In the meantime you can mix together your own sambar powder - mix the chilli,coriander,methi and turmeric powders.Keep aside.This is your sambar powder.
3)For the tadka or tempering - heat 2 tsp of oil in a heavy bottomed(giggle giggle) vessel.Add the mustard and cumin seeds.When they start to splutter add the fresh curry leaves and a tiny pinch of asafoetida.Roast till an aroma is given off.then add the finely chopped onion and saute until lightly golden brown and soft.
4)Add the cooked dal and then the vegetables of your choice. If you are using okra fry the okra for about 5 mins in a tsp of oil to prevent it from making the sambar slimy.Quickly stir in the spice mixture and add salt to taste.Add the remaining water to bring the sambar to a pouring consistency.
5)Bring the sambar to a boil for 5 mins or until the veggies are half cooked.At this point add the tomato and the tamarind pulp.Do not add these ingredients earlier as they would prevent the dal from breaking down and melding together with spices and veggies.
6)Cover and cook for 10 mins on a low flame. Check for salt and sourness.The dal should have completely cooked down and the veggies should be fork tender.
7)Serve with rice/idli or dosa. Oota is ready!

Patra ni macchi

The name of this dish translates to "fish wrapped in a leaf" .Patra ni macchi is a traditional Parsi dish that has fish wrapped in a spicy marinade made with ground coconut, fresh mint, coriander leaves, fresh green chillies and lemon juice. It's succulent and moist with the juices of the fish intact and just bursting with all the flavors of the sea. The banana leaf lends this dish a subtle smoky flavor that I like.

I only make this dish when I have really fresh fish and fresh green giant banana leaves on hand.Steamed fish mandates that the fish be extremely fresh or you're going to wind up with a dish with a strong fishy odor.Not pleasant.

Now, if you're not very into steamed fish (Or steamed anything - like my husband) I would still give this a try. Especially when you're entertaining, cause the whole fish wrapped in banana leaves makes an impressive presentation.You could leave the fish in the leaf parcels and let your guests open them at the dinner table.Plus it doesn't take a whole lot of time to prep or steam the fish.

Serve on a bed of hot fluffy steamed rice. Since it is fish - you can feel real good about getting all your protein and omega3 fatty acids. You could also grill or barbecue the fish parcels and if you can't find banana leaves where you live - use foil or better still grill them just as they are.

Here I've used Surmai or Kingfish. But a whole Pomfret or a Red Snapper would work just as well.



Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 kilo or 2 lbs of Kingfish/Pomfret/Red Snapper
1 cup fresh scraped coconut
3 cups fresh coriander leaves
20 fresh mint leaves
8 green chillies
1 lemon - juiced
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 inch piece ginger
6 cloves of garlic
salt to taste
banana leaves
kitchen string/twine

Method

1)Clean the fish and keep aside.If you are using the whole fish make deep incisions or score the fish on both sides to help the fish marinate better.
2)Make the marinade. Grind together the coconut, coriander and mint leaves, chillies,cumin seeds,ginger,garlic, lemon juice and salt.Taste the marinade. Take care not to add too much water as you don't want a runny marinade.The fish also releases some of it's juices so you want to keep the marinade thick.
3)Smear the fish generously with the marinade.Leave aside for up to 1 hr.
3)Wash and cut the banana leaves so you have one for each fish steak/fillet. If you're using the whole fish rub the insides of the fish with the marinade as well.
4)Gently wrap the fish with the banana leaf and use the kitchen string to help secure the leaves around the fish.
5)Steam/Grill the fish for about 10- 12 minutes depending on how thick your fish is.Serve hot with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.