Spinach and Chickpea Rice and Gujarati Undhiyo
I haven't tried these yet, but wanted to keep the recipes handy as another way to use greens and eggplants.
Spinach and Chickpea Rice
Ingredients
* 200 g baby spinach
* 3 tbsp vegetable oil
* 1 tsp ghee or melted butter
* 1 bay leaf
* ½ cinnamon stick
* 4 cloves
* 10 black peppercorns
* 1 heaped tsp cumin seeds
* 1 medium onion, sliced
* 1-3 green chillies, according to taste, pricked with a fork
* 1 heaped tsp finely chopped ginger
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 tsp ground coriander
* ½ tsp garam masala
* ½ tbsp ground cumin
* 200 g canned chickpeas, (drained weight)
* 300 g cooked basmati rice
* 1-2 tsp lemon juice
* raita, to serve (optional)
1. Tip the spinach into a large saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook over a medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes or until wilted. Drain through a sieve, squeeze out any excess water, then tip into a food processor and blend to a smooth purée.
2. Heat the oil and ghee in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, black peppercorns and cumin seeds and fry for 20-30 seconds or until the cumin is aromatic.
3. Stir in the onion and chillies and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until turning golden brown at the edges, then stir in the ginger and garlic and cook for a further minute.
4. Add the ground coriander, garam masala and ground cumin and season with a pinch of salt. Stir in a splash of water and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the chickpeas and spinach, stir well to incorporate then cook for 1-2 minutes, until any excess moisture has evaporated. Stir in the rice and heat through.
6. Add the lemon juice, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with raita, if using.
Gujarati Undhiyo
Ingredients
* For the masala sauce
* 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
* 3 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
* 2 small green chiles, seeds removed, flesh chopped
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, plus extra, for garnish
* 1 tablespoon ground coriander
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 3/4 teaspoon carom seeds*
* 3 ounces freshly grated coconut, plus extra, for garnish
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 2 tablespoons ground roasted peanuts
* For the curried vegetables
* 4 small aubergines (eggplant), trimmed and cut in half lengthways
* Kosher salt, as necessary
* 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
* Pinch asafoetida (Hing)*
* 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
* 1 potato, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
* 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
* 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds on the diagonal
* 8 ounces water
* 2 handfuls frozen tuvar beans* or broad beans *
*Can be found at specialty Asian or Indian markets.
DIRECTIONS This traditional vegetarian Gujarati dish is full of flavour and makes a comforting autumnal dish.
For the masala sauce: Blend the ginger, garlic, green chiles, and lemon juice to a paste in a food processor. Add a splash of water to loosen and bind the mixture. Stir in the cilantro and blend again until the cilantro is well combined, but retains its texture. Add the coriander, cumin, carom, coconut, salt, sugar, and roasted peanuts, and stir well until combined.
For the curried vegetables: On a sheet pan lined with paper towels, place the aubergine pieces. Sprinkle salt over the aubergine, and place paper towels on top. Place a heavy skillet over the aubergine to press out the excess moisture. Set the pan aside for 30 minutes. Quickly rinse the aubergine of the salt, and pat dry.
Heat the oil in a nonstick pan over a medium heat, and add the asafoetida, and fry for 20 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the mustard seeds, and fry for 30 seconds, or until they start to pop. Be careful of the popping seeds and splatters of oil. Add the potatoes, aubergines, sweet potato, and parsnip pieces, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring regularly, or until the vegetables are golden brown.
Stir in the masala sauce, add the water, and bring to a boil, then cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Once the vegetables are just tender, add the tuvar beans, cover with a lid and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes, or until warmed through.
To serve the dish: Divide the Gujarati Undhiyo among 6 serving plates and sprinkle over the fresh chopped cilantro, and freshly grated coconut, to garnish.
Cook's Note: The potato takes the longest time to cook and the sweet potato the least, so make sure you cut the sweet potato up into the biggest pieces or it will over-cook and break down in the pan. Also, be sure to taste the masala before adding it to the pan and over-season a little. The vegetables will absorb some of the salt and if you don't add enough salt, the dish will seem a little bland.
Spinach and Chickpea Rice
Ingredients
* 200 g baby spinach
* 3 tbsp vegetable oil
* 1 tsp ghee or melted butter
* 1 bay leaf
* ½ cinnamon stick
* 4 cloves
* 10 black peppercorns
* 1 heaped tsp cumin seeds
* 1 medium onion, sliced
* 1-3 green chillies, according to taste, pricked with a fork
* 1 heaped tsp finely chopped ginger
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 tsp ground coriander
* ½ tsp garam masala
* ½ tbsp ground cumin
* 200 g canned chickpeas, (drained weight)
* 300 g cooked basmati rice
* 1-2 tsp lemon juice
* raita, to serve (optional)
1. Tip the spinach into a large saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook over a medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes or until wilted. Drain through a sieve, squeeze out any excess water, then tip into a food processor and blend to a smooth purée.
2. Heat the oil and ghee in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, black peppercorns and cumin seeds and fry for 20-30 seconds or until the cumin is aromatic.
3. Stir in the onion and chillies and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until turning golden brown at the edges, then stir in the ginger and garlic and cook for a further minute.
4. Add the ground coriander, garam masala and ground cumin and season with a pinch of salt. Stir in a splash of water and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the chickpeas and spinach, stir well to incorporate then cook for 1-2 minutes, until any excess moisture has evaporated. Stir in the rice and heat through.
6. Add the lemon juice, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with raita, if using.
Gujarati Undhiyo
Ingredients
* For the masala sauce
* 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
* 3 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
* 2 small green chiles, seeds removed, flesh chopped
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, plus extra, for garnish
* 1 tablespoon ground coriander
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 3/4 teaspoon carom seeds*
* 3 ounces freshly grated coconut, plus extra, for garnish
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 2 tablespoons ground roasted peanuts
* For the curried vegetables
* 4 small aubergines (eggplant), trimmed and cut in half lengthways
* Kosher salt, as necessary
* 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
* Pinch asafoetida (Hing)*
* 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
* 1 potato, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
* 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
* 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds on the diagonal
* 8 ounces water
* 2 handfuls frozen tuvar beans* or broad beans *
*Can be found at specialty Asian or Indian markets.
DIRECTIONS This traditional vegetarian Gujarati dish is full of flavour and makes a comforting autumnal dish.
For the masala sauce: Blend the ginger, garlic, green chiles, and lemon juice to a paste in a food processor. Add a splash of water to loosen and bind the mixture. Stir in the cilantro and blend again until the cilantro is well combined, but retains its texture. Add the coriander, cumin, carom, coconut, salt, sugar, and roasted peanuts, and stir well until combined.
For the curried vegetables: On a sheet pan lined with paper towels, place the aubergine pieces. Sprinkle salt over the aubergine, and place paper towels on top. Place a heavy skillet over the aubergine to press out the excess moisture. Set the pan aside for 30 minutes. Quickly rinse the aubergine of the salt, and pat dry.
Heat the oil in a nonstick pan over a medium heat, and add the asafoetida, and fry for 20 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the mustard seeds, and fry for 30 seconds, or until they start to pop. Be careful of the popping seeds and splatters of oil. Add the potatoes, aubergines, sweet potato, and parsnip pieces, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring regularly, or until the vegetables are golden brown.
Stir in the masala sauce, add the water, and bring to a boil, then cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Once the vegetables are just tender, add the tuvar beans, cover with a lid and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes, or until warmed through.
To serve the dish: Divide the Gujarati Undhiyo among 6 serving plates and sprinkle over the fresh chopped cilantro, and freshly grated coconut, to garnish.
Cook's Note: The potato takes the longest time to cook and the sweet potato the least, so make sure you cut the sweet potato up into the biggest pieces or it will over-cook and break down in the pan. Also, be sure to taste the masala before adding it to the pan and over-season a little. The vegetables will absorb some of the salt and if you don't add enough salt, the dish will seem a little bland.