This week the Hot Yam! gave the first week of school a super boost by delivering an inventive Indian inspired meal.
First up was a beautful beet salad in order to re-create this dish you will need:
1-2 beets (depending on size)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 - 1 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground coriander or cumin
1 tsp lemon/lime juice
Once you have acquired all the ingredients you shall continue to:
1. Peel the beets
2. Boil the beets for 5 minutes.
3. Grate the beets. They will still be firm.
4. Mix together all the ingredients.
Real simple right! and then you'll have plenty of time to move on to the for the Chapati and Raita....For the Raita You will need:
2 cups soy yogurt
2 tsp lemon/lime juice
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
salt to taste
You just take these ingredients and mix them together, adjusting the salt and the chili powder to your personal taste... and of course the Raita would be lonely without some Chapati to dip and enjoy.
For the Chapati you will need merely: 1.5 cups atta flour (1 for recipe, 1/2 for anti-sticking purposes)
1/2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
warm water
Now take a breathe and....
1. Make a dimple in the center of 1 cup of flour, and pour the oil in. Mix.
2. Add warm water until the dough is sticky, but not too sticky. Let it rest a few minutes.
3. Take a small palm-full of dough and roll it out very thin. You will need extra flour to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands, the rolling pin, and the table. Let it rest a few minutes.
4. Heat a griddle as hot as possible. Cook the chapati (dry!) on the griddle until lightly burnt on both sides. Hot Yam Tip: This requires careful supervision!
5. Keep chapati warm (e.g. on a plate under a clean towel) until serving time.
For some delicious Dhal (that is Indian Lentil soup) you will need to gather:
3 tbs. oil
½ tsp. mustard seeds
¾ tsp. cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1 dry chili (substitute for fresh)
½ small chopped onion
1 chili chopped (use dry chili with whole
spices if you have no fresh)
1” chunk ginger grated
3 garlic clove
1-3 tsp. salt
1 Roma tomato chopped
1 ½ tsp. coriander
½ tsp. turmeric
pinch cayenne
½ cup lentils
2-2 ½ cups water
Now this recipe has several steps...you will begin with the whole spices:
1. Toast whole spices in pot.
Add oil and fry spices.
2. Just before mustard seeds pop add
onion, chili, ginger & garlic.
Add salt and fry a few minutes.
3. Add tomato, coriander, turmeric
& cayenne. Mix and fry letting
tomatoes break down.
Add lentils and water—bring to a
boil.
4. Place lid and whistle on pressure
cooker. At first whistle turn heat
to low, cook for 10 minutes.
Quick release pressure by running
pot under cold water.
Now for Desert how about something nutritious and delicious? Thats what i thought... Zucchini Bread it is
You will Need:
3 tbsp of flaxseed meal (boil 3 parts water, add 1 part seeds, cook
and stir until the consistency of eggs)
1.5 cups granulated sugar
1 c vegetable oil
2 c coarsely grated raw zucchini
3 tsp vanilla
3 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
(1 c chocolate chips or coarsely chopped nuts optional, but we will
skip this for Hot Yam!)
Instructions: 1. Grease pans. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and dry spices.
3. Mix in the sugar and wet ingredients: egg substitute, vanilla, oil. (The recipe says "mix dry ingreds, then wet, then stir wet into dry" but that dirties too many pans for me.)
4. Mix in the zucchini.
5. Bake for ~60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. The bread should still be moist in the middle, just not gooey.
6. Cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan.
Hope everyone is having a great time back at school! and if not, the Yam! will comfort you every week until its over!
