Indian Spiced Okra

This is better than boiled okra with butter & salt, which is better than fried okra. Use the full amount of butter, but no more. It will cook down and be well coated even though it doesn't look like enough.

This goes well with tamales or fried corn and sliced tomatoes.

Serves 4 as side dish, 2 as main dish.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 pound fresh okra
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. Stir in the okra, and season with cumin, ginger, coriander, pepper and salt. Cook and stir for a few minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover the pan. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until okra is tender.

Maya's Red Lentil Soup

This is a wonderful soup. Easy to make and good enough for company. The inspiration for this soup came from Madhur Jaffrey's "World Vegetarian" cookbook.
Makes 4 bowls of soup.

3 Tbs peanut oil

1.5 inch piece of ginger, peeled

8 garlic cloves, minced - 4 if crushed

1 cup red lentils

4 cups water

1 Rapunzel bouillon cube (veggie w sea salt & herbs)

10 - 15 curry leaves (or bay leaves)

1 16 oz can Muir Glen fire roasted, diced tomatoes with roasted garlic 

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 tsp mustard seeds

salt & pepper to taste

Clean, wash well & drain lentils.

Mince ginger & garlic. 

Heat 2 Tbs oil in a pot, add ginger & garlic & cook for a minute. 

Add water, lentils, & curry leaves. Cover & simmer gently until the lentils are soft (20 - 40 minutes).

Add tomatoes, bouillon, cayenne and salt & pepper. Simmer gently another 10 - 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft.

Optional for family, required for company: Press the soup through a sieve & return to the pot.

Heat 1 Tbs oil in a small pan, When hot, put in the mustard seeds. They will sizzle & pop, turning gray.

Pour mustard & oil into the soup. Stir & serve.

Toovar Dal with Chopped Spinach

This recipe for Toovar Palak Dal was derived from “The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking” by Yamunda Devi. This is one or our favorite recipes and can be prepared with almost any yellow dal and leafy green. The recipe in the book has more detailed instructions, but this is the gist of it.

1 cup split toovar dal, washed, soaked & drained

1 ½ cups water

5 Tbs olive oil (substituted for ghee)

1 ½ tsp cumin seeds

a pinch of asafetida

fire roasted tomatoes, drained (Muir Glen) (substituted for 1 large tomato)

1 ½ tsp ground coriander

a pinch of cayenne powder

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp salt

½ pound spinach, stemmed & coarsely chopped

juice of ½ lemon

2 Tbs fresh, minced parsley (or cilantro)

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Bring dal, 1 Tbs oil & water to a boil in a saucepan; reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until soft, but not falling apart; drain.

Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan. When moderately hot, fry cumin seeds until brown. Add the asafetida powder then immediately add tomatoes and remaining spices.  Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach, cover & cook for 5 minutes more.

Pour in the drained dal; lower the heat slightly and add the lemon juice. Cook briefly until dry and richly textured.

Garnish with minced herbs & a sprinkle of nutmeg just before serving.

Serves 4