Lentils

Dill Daal Fry /Sabsige Soppu Dal

July 16, 2023 By Asha Shivakumar

The most flavorful vegan Dill Daal Fry aka Sabsige Soppu Daal recipe! This Karnataka recipe is fresh, flavorful and loaded with fresh dill. Perfect with Jollada roti or chapathi.

Eat your Greens, they are good for you.

The cuisine of Karnataka is known to be one of the oldest in the country comprising of flavors, different ingredients & unique techniques.

The food varies from region to region. From coconut based meat dishes of Mangalore, tangy dishes of Uttara Canara . South Karnataka is popular for the variety of rice, known as bhaath. North Karnataka food is much spicier in comparison to the other parts of Karnataka. Udupi rasam is world famous, to Navyath cuisine. Grains such as ragi, rice, jower, urad dal, semolina are some staples. Palm jaggery is also an important ingredient in Karnataka’s cuisine….

sweet bonda -Vada in Coconut Milk

October 20, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Sweet Bonda- soft spongy Urad Dal Vada soaked in sweetened coconut milk. It’s a heirloom recipe of a very culturally rich small community of a district in Tanjore/Thanjavur. Perfect Navratri Sweet.

The memories of this sweet bonda traces back to when I was about 14-15 yrs. Back road drives, our yearly trips with aunts, uncles and cousins.

That year we visited Tanjore, South India. Tanjore is known for many things: It’s paintings, the very popular temples that were build during the Chola empire, and their hospitality. How can I forget the food?! To this day, Thanjavur and it’s food has stuck with me. We stayed at my mom friend’s home. A traditional home with thatched roofs, inviting thinnai and beams that were intricately carved out of teak wood. There are not enough synonyms to describe how varied their food is and how very delicious it is.

Reaching Tanjore past midnight, we went straight to bed after a few minutes of obligatory talk….

Pumpkin Dal with Beet Greens

September 27, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Cozy and comforting Pumpkin Dal or Poosanikai Kootu is perfect for autumn and cooler months. It’s easy to make and with the addition of beet greens adds so much more flavor.

Happy Autumn!!

It’s that time of the year when pumpkin and butternut squash is in abundance, and I’m all about pumpkin recipes, be it sweet or savory. I’ve been eating this pumpkin kootu or pumpkin dal from when I was a baby. I’ve always liked the slight sweetness in my curries and this one with chapathi or just plain rice is phenomenal.

Authentic South Indian everyday food/recipes uses very less spices, simple local ingredients and never over the top hot. It’s always fresh and few ingredients. This recipe uses channa daal for it’s bite and texture, creamy which also holds it’s shape. This pumpkin dal works best with channa dal/split yellow chickpeas or even split yellow moong daal.

Flavorful Indian food is so much faster and you can get the most authentic taste with just a few ingredients.Thanks to my mom for yet another healthy and delicious recipe that is a staple at home….

Chayote Spinach Kootu with Kootu Podi

August 5, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Chayote kootu with spinach, made with a special kootu podi is simple, yet overflows with flavors and leaves you questioning what spice is added in it. It embodies the way I like to cook — that is to say, in a way that lets each ingredient shine.

A soothing bowl was needed because everything is getting overwhelming.

Don’t you prefer every day very much like another? I know, who likes it… Especially since we are going through that. With everything that’s going on, housework has doubled (don’t know why, or maybe I do), office work seems slow, I’ve been in my PJs a bit more than I’d want to, haven’t seen any of my friends in a while, and, to top all that, stress takes over with more reasons than one. You call a friend and everyone talks about the same situation, the same work, the same chores… I don’t blame them. It’s hard on everyone….

How to grow mung bean sprouts

April 16, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Mung bean sprouts filled with nutrients and are a common ingredient in Indian homes. It’s great raw, steamed or pureed, they provide a crisp, healthy addition to any meal. Growing mung bean sprouts is easy and when done right, they are perfect in less time.

Mung Bean is a legume that is commonly used in the Asian countries. Mung Beans go by many names in different parts of India. Pasiparuppu in tamil, mung sabut in hindi, pesalu in telugu , hesarukalu in kannada, cherupayar in Malyalam. Green gram is high in protein fiber, vitamins and nutrients. Sprouting any legume increases it’s nutrition value and it’s easy on the tummy and easily digestible.

Two ways to sprout mung beans

The first method is to put in a jar or box and put a tight lid on and keep in a cool place. The second method and my favorite method is to sprout it in a cotton cloth, hanging it in a warm dry place in the kitchen.

Tips on how to sprout mung beans

Get the best high quality fresh green gram. Older stock of mung beans will not sprout well.

2. Organic mung beans, take longer time to soak and as well to sprout.

3. Hybrid variety soaks faster and sprouts faster

4. If you want your sprouts in few days, plan ahead. It take 36 hours to grow sprouts.

5. Wash and rinse the green gram with clean water 3-4 times to avoid the risk of contamination.

6. Use slightly lukewarm water to soak the green gram.

Method on how to grow mung bean sprouts

There are two methods of making sprout.

Method 1

Once you’ve washed and soaked the mung 8 hours, drain it well. You can use any clean thin cloth you have to sprout. Add the drained mung beans in the middle of the cloth and pull the sides together and tie it. Hang this on a hook in a slight warm dry place. Every 6 hours sprinkle some water on the cloth. Do NOT soak it. The cloth should be slightly damp. The sprouts will be ready in 36 hours.

Method 2

After soaking it for eight hours, drain it well. Add it to a jar or any container, cover with a tight lid. The sprouting will take again about 24-36 hours.

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Green Peas and Papad Curry – Appalam Pattani Kurma

October 14, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

An easy and simple Indian style green peas curry with papad. This spicy Dry Green Peas Curry is made with sprouted dry green peas (a staple in Indian kitchens), onion, tomatoes, spices and papad. A vegan, soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free recipe.

This is a month of celebration. Celebration of a woman. Goodess Durga in all her forms.

Entire India will celebrate Navaratri and Durga Pooja. Celebrating the victory of good over evil.

Everyone celebrates festivals for different reasons.

And when people do draw a boundary between spirituality and religiosity, they are often making a political or moral statement rather than describing what they believe.

To me, festivals have a deeper meaning….

Crusty Cauliflower Pasta Bake with Peppery Almonds Manchego Crust -GF

October 11, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

With just four ingredients, you have the best cauliflower pasta bake ever. The sauteed cauliflower feels decadent with spicy almonds in this crunchy baked pasta. You can cook this over the stove top, or bake it. Be careful not to overcook your pasta, as it will continue to cook in the oven.

This pasta bake is just the kind of thing for these dark and dreary days. It’s warm, crusty, and soul-satisfying. Yet it’s full of healthy ingredients. Chickpea pasta, crushed cauliflower, and a good peppery almond crust.

The pasta is a vessel that holds the cauliflower and with every bite, you get a bit of the creamy from the cauliflower and crunch from the almonds….

Medhu Vada with Dill / Ulundu Vadai / Urad Daal Vada

May 5, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

A delicious, crispy, and spicy vada with lots of dill, pepper, and onion. This Medhu Vada is an authentic South Indian treat.

The iconic breakfast that’s popular, not only among South Indians but around the world, is Idli-Vada-Sambhar. It’s a dish that makes an awaited appearance every weekend in many homes. Vada might not necessarily happen often, but it is arguably the most popular among the three. Vada is considered a snack in South Indian cuisine. And we cannot confuse it with its cousin, the pakora/bajji, or another street snack, the Vada Pav. Medhu vada is made during festivals, for parties or for an evening snack. There are quite a lot of varieties of vada. It’s mostly made out of legumes, in contrast to the often chickpea based pakoras and bajji. I also have a version of vada with mint and cashews that is crispier and heartier in texture….

Quinoa-Legumes Dosa aka Quinoa Masala Adai (Gluten Free/Vegan)

September 11, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

Soft and flavorful, healthy and nutritious. This quinoa dosa, aka adai with vegetables, is a quick and nutritious meal. For breakfast, brunch, or lunch, it is so good.

As the golden sun is setting, I hear a door bell. The mail guy just delivered a package, and I exactly know what’s in it….

Ever since I announced the book, I’ve got overwhelming support from all of you. It has been amazing, and I thank all of you.

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Garlicky Tomato-Vegetable Chickpea Orzo/pasta soup with a touch of heat

February 11, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

We are still in soup season. It’s raining, and it’s still cold around here. Our umbrellas are in full use, and so are our scarves. Our weekend evenings are filled with soup under blankets on the sofa. Mornings are dark, with no peeking of sunlight, and I want to sleep in more. Sometimes, the best things can happen in dark moments on a rainy day. I wake up, bake a batch of muffins, and put on a kettle of water to brew some coffee.

There are some quiet moments before the boys get down. No one to talk to, just me and my coffee with little Waffles (our puppy) by my feet. Silence sometimes is healing. Kind of a rehab. That feeling cannot be explained to the fullest. Silence is about feelings. I go out for a small walk with my large polka dot umbrella with frills, and it’s still drizzling. That moment, when there’s not a worry about anything that’s happening around.

I open the door after my walk, setting the umbrella down, I get a jump from my puppy and a hug and kiss. One by one the boys come down to hug and kiss me “Morning!”

Yes, sometimes I don’t want to think of what’s happening around.

On that note, there are many things happening right now, and there will always be. Let’s do something about it. Do what you believe in, go for it, fight for it. Speak your mind, or write what’s in your mind. We spend way too many nights thinking if everything would get alright. In the end, though, there’s nothing given up and nothing to quit as yet. In the end, love will always win.

Soups are not my thing, but this is one of my favorite soups. There are so many variations to make with this. You can add any vegetable you want, and the base for the soup can be made to your liking. It’s a hearty and a delicious soup which is great any time of the year.

This is a take on a chutney I make and the recipe was an accident, a very happy one. I love adding beets to it; not only does it add color but also lot of flavor and the slight sweetness.

Hope you get to try it out sometime.

Sending hugs!!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Tomato-Vegetable Soup with Orzo

Prep time

40 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

55 mins

Author: Ash

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: American, Italian

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

5 roma tomatoes or vine tomatoes
2 whole garlic
3 carrots
½ Beet
1 red onion
10 dried red chilies
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly crushed black pepper
2 cups low sodium or no sodium vegetable stock
½ cup orzo pasta(use more or less)
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans or canned(rinsed and drained)
10-12 basil leaves

For garnish

chives, toasted pine nuts and thinly sliced jalapenos

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Cut the tomatoes in half, cut the garlic in halves, carrots and beet cut to 1 inch size, 1 inch onion. Put all this in a baking tray, add the red chilies, drizzle oil, add the salt and pepper and toss well. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
Take it out and grind with 2 cups of vegetable stock or water. Transfer in a soup pot, add the orzo, onion and garlic powder. Let it simmer and cook for about 6-8 minutes.
Once the pasta is cooked, add the chickpeas, tear the basil leaves and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Serve hot with chopped chives, jalapeno and toasted pine nuts.

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