Meatless Mondays: Indian Feast (feat. Moong Dal)

I'd like to take a moment to discuss thoughtfulness.


There are so few people who actually care about other people's lives. And this isn't my cynical-advertising-copywriter speaking. I think it's true. Sure, there are people in your life who care about you: your parents, your significant other, your close friends. And then there are those special few people who care about, well, everyone.


People who always remember birthdays - and send cards weeks in advance. People who donate to every charity run/walk/jump/bake sale possible. People who keep a mental catalogue of you, your siblings, your siblings' families, and your pets' health - and remember to ask about all those every time they talk to you.


It's safe to say I'm not one of those people. But I happen to know one - and she happened to send me a large container of mung beans. Not because I've been pestering anyone to buy me mung beans, but because I once - in passing (apparently) - mentioned I'm curious to try them. (Giver of the Mung Beans, you know who you are, and this post is for you!)


What better way to celebrate someone's thoughtfulness than to cook something seasoned with thoughts of them? (Loyal readers: don't fret, this is the most sentimental I'll ever get on this blog.) I did quite a bit of research on cooking mung beans. You can buy them with the skins already off (mine still had theirs on, which I'm convinced is more nutritious), and you can soak them (or not) before cooking. I didn't soak them. I left the skins on. And they were delicious.


Not to too my own horn, but - TOOT TOOT! This was by far the best Indian-inspired meal I've made to date. And it might even be the best Meatless Monday meal I've made. Ross said (and I'm paraphrasing): "UGGGHHHHHH, it's [expletive deleted] Meatless Monday, isn't it?" [ONE HOUR LATER:] "Oh my God, these are some delicious vegetables!...The whole point of cooking is to mask the gross taste of vegetables, and you really did that. This is really good. The rice is the best part. And the chapatis are amazing. I'll have another."

I know this meal has a lot of parts, and quite a few ingredients, but nothing about it is difficult. Even the chapatis are super low maintenance - unless you count the fact that Ross had to stand under the smoke alarm, fanning it with a towel, so I could get the pan hot enough to cook them (the perils of apartment living). If you try this meal at home, invite over someone really thoughtful - or at least be mindful of those who truly care about you. It'll make the food taste even better.

INGREDIENTS

Moong Dal:
1/4 c. olive oil
1 cup mung beans
3 cups water (actually I don't know how much it really was - I think it was more. I just kept adding water until the lentils were done)
1 onion, diced
3 finger peppers, sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 medium tomatoes, in chunks
3 cloves garlic, minced
fresh chopped cilantro
Cumin seeds (about a teaspoon, whole, toasted)
Turmeric
salt

Homemade Chapatis:
I used this recipe, subbing in 2% milk for the water.
I also used a little more than 3/4 c. milk, and I cooked each chapati in a smidgen of butter.


Creamy Spinach:
1 10-oz. bag spinach leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
a few tablespoons water
big spoonfuls sour cream
salt and pepper

Rice Pilaf:
1 cup rinsed white rice
2 cups water
turmeric (a few dashes)
cumin seeds, whole (about 1/2 tsp.)
1 cinnamon stick
a few tablespoons dried currants
a few tablespoons sliced peeled almonds, toasted
salt
olive oil

STEP 1:

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the 1/4 c. olive oil. Add the onions and some salt. Cook over medium high heat until translucent. Add the finger peppers, bell pepper, turmeric, bay leaf, and toasted cumin seeds. Stir and cook for a few minutes. Add the mung beans and a few cups water. Add the tomatoes and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for about an hour, adding more water as needed and stirring every few minutes, until mung beans are tender and consistency is a bit thicker than a stew. Stir in chopped cilantro about 10 minutes before it's done. Taste and adjust seasonings. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

STEP 2:

While moong dal is cooking, prepare the chapatis. Cover with a kitchen towel and keep warm until ready to serve. Also prepare the rice: add rice, water, turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon stick to rice cooker (or pot with lid) and simmer until all water is absorbed. Stir in currants and toasted almonds. Fluff with a fork. Keep warm until ready to serve.

STEP 3:

Prepare spinach: in a pot with a lid, place the spinach and all other ingredients. Cook over medium low heat until spinach is wilted. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve moong dal and spinach over rice pilaf, with chapatis on the side. Enjoy!

Curry Lentils & Spinach with Biryani-Style Rice

My curry obsession might be getting out of hand.


In fact, my the flames of my burning Indiaphilia are stoked to panic levels every time I persuade one of my friends to accompany me to an Indian buffet. But I can't stop. Won't stop. And I won't stop cooking and posting curry-centric recipes unless there's some sort of Indian intervention. Until then, my fellow curry freaks, enjoy.

Namaste.

CURRY LENTILS & SPINACH WITH BIRYANI-STYLE RICE

INGREDIENTS

Rice:

1 c. white basmati rice
2 c. water
1 T. olive oil
salt
handful frozen peas
handful cashews
handful raisins
about 1 and 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger root
a couple dashes cumin
freshly ground black pepper

Lentils:

2-3 T. olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1 medium carrot, cut into small pieces
2 cloves garlic
1 red chili pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp. freshly ground ginger root
salt and pepper
several good dashes curry powder
1 can vegetable broth
1 c. red lentils
3/4 c. water
1 bunch fresh spinach leaves, chopped
handful fresh cilantro, chopped

STEP ONE:

Start making the rice. Bring the water to a boil, adding the oil and some salt. Add the rice, cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the rice has absorbed about 3/4 of the water. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed.

STEP TWO:

Meanwhile, heat the oil for the lentils/spinach in a large saucepan with a lid. Cook the carrots first for a few minutes, until they start to become tender. Add the onions and cook until they too are tender, seasoning with a little salt and pepper.

STEP THREE:

Judging by how dry the carrots and onions are, add a little more oil (start with a teaspoon) if needed. Add the red chili pepper, garlic, and ginger. Cook until fragrant.


STEP FOUR:

Add the vegetable broth and the lentils. Cover, and cook over medium-high heat until the lentils start to absorb the liquid and soften. Add the cumin and cook for a few minutes, covered.

STEP FIVE:

Stir in the spinach and cilantro, and add the water and a little more curry, salt, and pepper. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed. Serve over a bed of the biryani rice and enjoy!



Much to my Indian craving's delight, this came out delicious. Hearty yet not heavy, flavorful and fiery, so healthy I couldn't help but stand over the leftovers and shovel some more in in the name of nutrients. The rice, especially, was delicious. There's just something about fluffy white basmati rice that's so irresistible.

And since I'm bragging, let me just throw in that I got the ingredients for this dish AND most of the ingredients for my next blog post (coming soon, my little chickadees) at Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) for a measly $20 (!). I have - no joke - spent almost that much just loading up my bowl at the hot bar.

How did I perform such a magical feat, you ask? The Whole Foods bulk bins - these babies alone are worth the trip down to North & Sheffield. Rather than buy a GIANT bag of cashews for $12 and watch them go rancid, I got just enough to make the rice, for about $2.50 (with some left over for snacking). I also got the raisins, rice, and lentils from the bulk bins too. And not only do they save you money and prevent food waste, they're better for the environment because they use so much less packaging (you just scoop whatever it is into those thin plastic bags that you use for produce). And sampling small amounts of grains, nuts, or dried fruits from the bins means you can try new and interesting things without having to commit to 16 oz. of them.

Definitely pay the bins a visit. And give the biryani-style rice a try! If you need me, I'll be elbow-deep at the buffet.

Thanks for reading! More soon...