Carrot Kootu | Carrot and Lentil Curry

by Jiya Jesh ·

Carrot Kootu – comforting South Indian style stew of carrots and lentils in a coconut based gravy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped carrots

• 1/3 cup toor dal ( split pigeon pea / thuvaram paruppu )

• 1 onion small

• 1 tomato medium-sized

• 2 large garlic cloves

• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

• 5 tbsp grated coconut

• 1-2 green chillies

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

• 1/2 tsp split urad dal (without skin)

• A few curry leaves

• 1 tsp oil

Instructions

1. Wash toor dal and soak the dal in enough water for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile peel the skin of carrots and chop them into small cubes. Also, finely chop onions, garlic and tomatoes.

3. Grind the grated coconut along with chopped green chillies to a fine paste by adding little water and set this aside.

4. Drain the soaked water from dal. Pressure cook the soaked dal along with chopped onions, garlic, tomatoes, carrots and turmeric powder with 1 cup water for 2 whistles on a medium flame.

5. Once the pressure gets released from the cooker, remove the lid of the cooker and mash the dal slightly.

6. Heat oil in a kadai or pan. Add mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter, add urad dal and curry leaves.

7. Once dal turns brown, add the cooked dal-vegetable mixture and mix.

8. Add the ground coconut paste and salt and mix well.

9. Add 3/4 cup water and let the gravy simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes.

10. Once the gravy thickens to desired consistency, remove from heat.

11. Carrot kootu is now ready to be served.

Notes

• The curry will thicken with time. So cook to consistency required.

• Carrot kootu tastes great when served with rice and a dollop of ghee. Add ghee when you are serving to kids. It tastes good when served with rotis / chapathis too.

Eggplant Recipe:Early Autumn Ratatouille & Polenta Bowls

recipe adapted fromDishing Up the Dirt

Prep Time: 20 minutes    Cook Time: 45 minutes    Serves: 6-8

Ratatouille (we have made this recipe without eggplant (sub more zucchini) and still find it DELIGHTFUL!)

• 1 large heirloom tomato, roughly chopped-- 0 miles

• 2 cups chopped tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes left whole

• 3 Japanese eggplants or 1 large Italian eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (no need to peel)-- 0 miles

• 2 zucchini or summer squash, cut into 1/2 inch moons-- 0 miles

• 1 large sweet pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped-- 0 miles

• 1 yellow onion, chopped-- 0 miles

• 4 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped-- 0 miles

• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes -- 20 miles

• 1/3 cup olive oil-- 105 miles

• 2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar-- 105 miles

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt-- 157 miles

• freshly ground black pepper -- not sure of the milage

• Minced parsley for serving-- 0 miles

Polenta Bowls

• 4 1/2 cups water or stock

• 1 cup corn meal-- 125 miles (roughly)

• 2 tablespoons butter-- 81 miles

• 1/2 cup freshly grated cheese--39 miles (you can use any hard cheese)

• hefty pinch of fine sea salt-- 157 miles

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. In a large roasting pan, toss all the veggies with the red pepper flakes, oil, vinegar, and salt. Stir well. Season the mixture with a few good grinds of black pepper and bake it for 45-55 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, and the tomatoes have released their juices. Stir the veggies halfway through cooking.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the polenta by bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Slowly add the grits to the boiling water and whisk vigorously until their are not more clumps. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the polenta thickens up a bit. Cover the pan and cook for about 30 minutes (the time will very depending on the brand of grits you use so see package directions for times) and use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture every 5 minutes or so until the polenta is creamy and the individual grains are tender. Add the butter and cheese and stir to combine.

3. Divide the polenta between bowls and top with the ratatouille. Sprinkle with minced parsley and additional grated cheese.

Notes

*Use this recipe as a guide and adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Cooking times will very from kitchen to kitchen

Caramelized Onions, Roasted Eggplant, and Tomato Penne Pasta

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Total Time

55 mins

The sweetness of the onions, combined with oven roasted eggplant, and tangy homemade tomato sauce makes for the ultimate comfort Italian dish!

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Anjali Lalani

Ingredients

• 6 cups diced eggplant , ~ 1 large Italian, or Black Beauty Eggplant

• 1.5 large white onion , peeled, halved, and thinly sliced

• 1 lb. penne pasta , for gluten-free, use brown rice pasta

• splash of cooking wine

• olive oil

• salt

• freshly ground black pepper

• vegan Parmesan cheese , optional (I use Follow Your Heart brand)

For Sauce:

• 8 cloves garlic , minced

• 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes chopped!)

• 1/2 cup basil , chopped + some for garnish

• crushed red pepper

• olive oil

• freshly ground black pepper

• salt

• sugar , a little if needed

Instructions

To Prepare the Roasted Eggplant:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Toss the diced eggplant with some olive oil (enough to coat the eggplant).

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the eggplant in a single layer on the parchment paper. Bake for about 25 minutes until cooked and fully roasted (slightly browned, but not burned).

To Make the Caramelized Onions:

1. Heat 2-3 tbsp olive oil on a non-stick large pan on low-medium heat. Add the thinly sliced white onions and an pinch of salt, and saute until they become completely translucent, slightly brown, and just caramelized (~25 minutes). Be sure to mix frequently. If you find that the onions start sticking to the bottom of the pan or start to burn, feel free to add a little more olive oil.

2. Once the onions are caramelized, de-glaze the pan by adding a slash of cooking wine to the pan.

To Make the Sauce:

1. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a medium sized pot on medium heat.

2. Add 8 cloves minced garlic and some dried red crushed peppers (more or less to taste depending on spice preference). Fry for ~30 sec. until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them.

3. Add the can of diced tomatoes. Once the sauce is simmering, reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes or until the sauce thickens and reduces to about 2 cups.

4. Add the chopped basil. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and white sugar (if needed). Cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside (note: if you are almost done with the recipe, feel free to keep heating the sauce at lowest setting possible to keep the sauce hot until the pasta is ready).

To Assemble the Pasta:

1. Set a large pot of water to boil. Add a generous pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Once the water is boiling, add the penne pasta and cook al dente.

2. Add the roasted eggplant to the de-glazed pan with caramelized onions.

3. Add the hot tomato sauce and cooked penne pasta. Toss everything to combine.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with some freshly chopped basil.

5. Top with some fresh Parmesan cheese (omit for vegan option), and serve hot!

Eggplant + Cucumber Crunch Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Eggplant + Cucumber Crunch Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Prep Time: 15 minutes    Cook Time: 30 minutes    Serves: 4

This Recipe has been adapted  from an amazing CSA Farm in Orgeon  (Tumbleweed Farm) and their farm food blog Dishing Up the Dirt
Check out the link above for an amazing resource for CSA cooking! It's the best! 
 

• 1 cup quinoa

• 1 medium-sized eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch chunks

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

• 3 Tablespoons finely chopped onion

• 1 large cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch chunks

• 1 bunch of parsley, diced

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas-if canned rinsed and drained

• salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 1/4 cup water

• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 2 teaspoons honey

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Prepare the quinoa by combining 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until quinoa has absorbed the liquid and can easily be fluffed with a fork.

2. Prepare the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together until smooth. Taste test and adjust seasonings if necessary.

3. Slice the eggplants into 1/4 inch chunks (no need to peel) and lightly salt them and set aside on a dish cloth.

4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the eggplant and chickpeas and continue to cook stirring often until eggplants begin to brown on all sides and chickpeas become lightly toasted. About 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

5. In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa with cherry tomatoes, cucumber and eggplant/chickpea mixture. Stir in the parsley and toss until well combine.  Drizzle with dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy

*Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Taste test as you go