A little bit of luck, a whole lot of beans and greens!

"Its a new day, its a new plan..........here we are, still goin' strong..."

So crooned singer Bryan Adams in his hit song - Here I am..

Seems pretty apt for the time that we all find ourselves in. Its the beginning of a brand new year. We have, hopefully learned a few things about the people around us and more importantly, a lot about ourselves. If nothing else, then 2020 should have served as the year of new insights, new adventures, new perspectives along with a dash of renewed hope, renewed contentment with what we have and a resolve to continue to improve, no matter what. 

With that, I will move on from that topic and resume with regular programming!! 

Among the many recipes that crop up during the New Years Day, I kept seeing a lot of pages devoted to a dish called Hopping John. Its a classic southern US dish, usually eaten on New Year's Day and is supposed to bring in a lot of luck. Traditionally, its a dish with rice, black eyed peas, onions and eaten with collard greens. The idea of a hearty dish with beans and greens sounded lovely for a cold day here in North Dallas and who wouldn't want a bit of fortune to go along with that? 

So that was what went on my menu plan for the day. I had to check to make sure I had some beans, I didn't want to make a trip to a grocery store just to get beans. I have been trying to limit my trips to grocery stores - less exposure, less impulsive buys and more opportunities to use up what I already have in the pantry. I knew I had about half a cup of dried black eyed peas, some red peas and frozen greens. 

I made the dish for lunch in my Instant Pot, served it up with steamed white rice and the whole family gobbled it up with relish. I hope you try this dish.

                             Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year! 

Ingredients:

1/2 C dried black eyed peas

1/2 C red beans (Rajma)

1/2 C chopped onions

1 medium tomato, diced

2 C mixed chopped greens (I used spinach and amaranth greens)

 2 tsp oil (I used avocado oil)

1 tsp finely chopped ginger

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp curry powder ( I used Kitchen King) 

1 tsp salt

1 tsp jaggery(any unrefined sugar) (optional)

Method:

1. Wash the beans and soak them in plenty of water for at least 8 hours or overnight. I would really recommend this step so that the beans cook up very nicely.

2. Set the Instant Pot to saute mode. Once its hot, add the oil. Add the chopped onion, ginger and garlic and fry for a minute or two. 

3. Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are soft. Add all the spice powders and mix well.

4. Drain the beans and add them to the pot. Add enough water to cover the beans.

5. Add chopped greens of choice. Add the salt and the jaggery and mix well.

6. Cover the lid of the Instant Pot and change the setting to Beans. This cooks on high pressure for 30 minutes. If you had soaked your beans well, this time should be sufficient. If not, you might need to cook for an additional 10 minutes. 

7. Wait for the pressure to release naturally. If you are in a hurry, wait for at least 10 minutes before a quick steam release.

8. Stir well, add more water to adjust consistency, if required. Mash a few of the beans to get a smooth texture. Serve piping hot with rice.

Notes: 

1. I really enjoyed this dish. Admittedly, I veered quite a bit from the original recipe, but still! The heartiness of the beans and the earthiness of the greens, combined with the potent spices is a wonderful meal. 

2. You can use a combination of any beans and greens for this dish, I would just recommend that you check the cooking times for the beans.

3. If you use canned beans and frozen greens, this can become a very quick - cooking dish.

4. I used amaranth greens that I grew in my backyard this past summer and froze the excess.  Other greens of choice would be collard greens, chard, spinach. 

5. You could use powdered ginger and garlic, but fresh is always better! 

6. Instead of white rice, you could always use quinoa, brown rice or millet or any grain of your choice. 

Spicy Tomato Jam

I had been on the lookout for a tomato jam recipe for some time.Although I had made jam a couple of times before, I am no expert when it comes to preserving fruit ! That's when I came across this recipe and it looked intriguing and delicious.. When my local Sprouts Farmers market had a 3lb/1$ tomato sale, I knew it was time to get busy in the kitchen...with jam, that is !
I made a few changes to the recipe. It turned out really well. I think this recipe is a keeper !



Ingredients:
2 lb tomatoes (I used roma tomatoes) - chopped
1 C brown sugar
2 Tbsp lime or lemon juice
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp ground roasted cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Method:
1. Mix all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Reduce the heat and then simmer for about 1.5 hours until the mixture reaches a jam consistency.
3. Stir often to prevent the jam from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

This recipe yielded about 2 cups of jam...I poured it into a previously cleaned jam bottle with a tight lid.
Since we were going to use it daily, I didn't refrigerate it, but you could do that to extend its life !

Notes:
1. I used brown sugar instead of white, because the brown sugar gives a depth of flavor to the jam. Next time, I will try with a little less sugar..I might have to simmer for longer to get the desired consistency.
2. I roasted the cumin before grinding it. The roasted cumin has a bolder, smokier taste.
3. Since my Indian palette can accommodate more heat, I used about 1/ 2 tsp of cayenne pepper...feel free to adjust to your taste and preference.

The jam goes well in PBJ sandwiches and also pairs up well with chapatis (Indian flat bread) and dosas (Indian crepes).
Do give this recipe a try..you will not be disappointed !

Have you ever tried any home made jam recipes ? Any observations or tips ??

Green Veggie Bhath / Spiced Rice with Green Veggies

Having browsed a significant number of blogs specializing in South Indian cuisine, I have come to the realization that rice dishes are very popular among us..Its probably got to do something with the fact that the southern states of India are the rice basins of the country as opposed to the northern states where wheat is primarily grown and hence consumed. Using up the previous day's extra rice before cooking up a fresh batch for the day's meals must have given rise to the idea of mixing up the rice with vegetables and various spices, thus creating a substantial lunch box item or a hearty brunch. (It should however be noted that in a lot of traditional households in India , in villages, especially, day old rice was not consumed..it was probably fed to the cattle of the house - the Ayurvedic premise being that freshly cooked food is always the best !)
I would love to be able to serve freshly cooked dishes for every meal without having any leftovers, but in this day and age, when time is at a premium and help is not always available, its not always practical ! 
Anyway, this creation is a godsend to the cooks who need to come up with a lunch or dinner idea on the fly with minimal ingredients and minimal expenditure of time and energy. With a few frozen vegetables from the freezer and a few spices from the pantry, you can whip up a delicious and filling lunch or dinner. Pair it up with a yogurt based raita or even plain yogurt , Indian pickles and a papad or two (in my house, it means roasted papads , not fried :D ) and you have a nice spread for yourself and your family.
My kindergartener loves this dish and doesnt mind it for his lunch box. My hubby likes to take this for his lunch as well. It travels well, can be easily reheated and keeps its flavor well.



Green Veggie Bhath / Spiced Rice with Green Veggies
Serves 2 -3 

Ingredients
1.5 C mixed veggies (green beans , green bell pepper, zucchini, etc) diced
2 C rice , cooked and cooled - white or brown
1/2 onion chopped or thinly sliced
2 tsp oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 Tbsp raw peanuts / cashew nuts
1 tsp  red chile / paprika powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp dhania - jeera powder ( coriander - cumin powder)
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
lemon juice
3 Tbsp cilantro leaves, chopped

Method : 
1. Heat the oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add the fennel, cumin and mustard seeds and the peanuts.
2. When the seeds start spluttering, add the onion and saute till the onions are soft.
3. Add all the spice powders and mix thoroughly with the onion.
4. Add the diced veggies, mix in the salt, sprinkle a little water and cook until the veggies are tender, yet not mushy. You can cover the pan to hasten the cooking process.
5. Add the cooled rice to the veggie mixture and mix well with a gentle hand. You dont want a lumpy rice and vegetable mixture !
6. Mix in the lemon juice, sprinkle the cilantro leaves and serve hot !

Tips:
1. If serving to my kindergartner, I make sure that the vegetables are not too large. My son seems to have an aversion to big vegetable pieces, but he doesnt mind if they are diced small.
2. I generally use the red chile powder, but you could try green chiles for an interesting variation.
3. You can use a variety of vegetables instead of the ones used here. Use seasonal vegetables for a healthier option !

4. We are certainly not a fat free family, although I do strive to keep our fat intake optimal. I believe that we do need a certain amount of healthy fats to keep our system functioning smoothly. I have used 2 tsp of canola oil in this recipe. Feel free to substitute olive oil or coconut oil. Reduce it for a lower fat option, or saute the veggies and spices in water for an even lower fat option !