Tangy Tapioca aka Sabudana Khichdi

Ingredients :

1 cup Sabudana (Tapioca Pearls)
1 medium sized potato, diced
3/4 cup roasted ground peanuts
(you can use broken peanuts also)
1 Jalapeno (or 2 green chilies)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
3/4 cup Pomegranate Seeds  
Cilantro, few sprigs - finely chopped
1 tbsp Sugar
Oil 2 tbsp
Salt & Pepper to taste









Directions :

1) Wash sabudana under running cold water till water runs clear. Soak sabudana in 3/4 cup of water. In principle you want to soak one cup sabudana in one cup water, but since the pearls retain some water from the wash we add only 3/4 cup of water. Keep the soaked sabudana in a wide mouthed vessel for at least 4-5 hours (you could leave it overnight).

2) Heat oil in a wide pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add jalapenos and saute for 15-20 seconds.

3) Add cubed potatoes and sprinkle some salt  ( we will add salt to sabudana separately, so here add salt just enough for the potatoes). Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook until the potatoes are done. I like my potatoes crispy and brown so I always use a wide pan that allows for the potatoes to sit on a single layer.

4) In a bowl take sabudana, add crushed peanut, salt , pepper and sugar. Mix well. Add this mixture to the potatoes. Set stove to medium-low heat, cover and cook for 2 minutes.

5) Remove the lid and cook for another 4-5 minutes without the lid. Make sure you stir every minute, so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

6) Sprinkle just a few drops of water if you think the sabudana is drying out. Cover and cook for 1 minute. You'll know that the sago pearls are cooked if they turn slightly translucent. When overcooked, sabudana becomes completely translucent, soft and mushy and often tends to stick together into clumps.

Your tangy Tapioca aka sabudana khichadi is ready. Garnish with cilantro and top with pomegranate seeds. Serve hot !

Pan fried sweet potatoes

Enjoy these pan fried sweet potatoes on the side or pair them up with tortilla & cheese slices to make a quick veggie wrap. I often make lettuce wraps with these sweet potatoes too, see the picture below.


Ingredients :

3 Large Sweet Potatoes - peeled and diced
1 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 tsp Paprika / red chili powder
1 tsp roasted cumin seed powder
(if available use Jeeravan-Masala instead of cumin powder)
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp roasted sunflower seeds
Freshly chopped Cilantro
Salt to taste



Directions :

1) Heat oil in a large pan. Add sweet potatoes and sprinkle salt, red chilli powder and cumin powder or jeeravan. ( I love the tangy flavour of jeeravan and it goes really well with the sweet potatoes. ) Toss the diced sweet potatoes and coat them with oil and the seasonings.
2) Keep the heat on medium and let the potatoes cook until they are lightly browned on the underside. This may take around 5 minutes.
3) Turn the heat down to medium low and toss the potatoes and cook for 3 minutes until it's lightly brown on the other side. Toss and repeat till the sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. It should take more than 15-18 minutes in total.
4) After you turn off the heat, add lemon juice, cilantro and sunflower seeds and toss.

Romaine lettuce topped the sweet potatoes, Kalmata olives and shredded cheese. 

  

Mushroom Enchiladas

Ingredients

For the Enchiladas :
250 gms sliced mushrooms
1 can black beans
1 medium sized onions, cut in cubes
1/2 curm corn kernels
1 Jalapeno, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Taco seasoning
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
8 8-inch flour tortillas
1 tbsp butter
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Sauce :
2 cups Pureed Tomato
1 tsp Cumin seeds Powder
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp brown sugar
2 Tsp Corn flour
1 cup water
1/2 tsp Garam Masala (optional)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions :

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) In a small sauce pan combine all the ingredients for the sauce. Stir to dissolve. Reduce heat and stir until sauce just begins to thicken.
3) Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat and saute onions, jalapenos and mushrooms until soft and liquid has evaporated, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add black beans, corn, salt , pepper and taco seasoning. Cook for another 2 minutes.
4) Turn the heat off. Let the mixture cool for 10-15 minutes. Then add a cup of shredded cheese in the mushroom mixture.
5) Wrap tortillas in moist paper towels and heat in microwave for a minute or so just to soften them.
6) Divide filling evenly among the warm tortillas, fill and roll.
7) In a baking dish pour half of the enchilada sauce. Places rolled tortillas on top. Pour the remaining sauce on top of the enchiladas and evenly spread it.
8) Top with the remaining shredded cheese. Cover the baking dish with aluminium foil and bake 10-15 minutes. Take the aluminium foil out and bake for another 5 minutes.

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Pumpkin Spiced Bread

Ingredients :

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 large egg
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup apple sauce (or oil)




Directions

1) In a bowl combine egg, pumpkin puree, milk and apple sauce.
2) In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients. Mix until well combined.
3) Pour the batter in a greased baking pan.
4) Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

I served it warm with vanilla ice-cream and caramel sauce on top !