Spicy Whole Green Moong

Ingredients:

Soak and cook:
Whole green moong - 1 cup
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Stir fry:
Asafoetia - a pinch
Green chillies, finely chopped - 2-3 depending on level of spice required
Ginger-garlic paste (optional) - 1 tsp
Onion, finely chopped - 1
Tomato, coarsely chopped - 1
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil/ghee - 1-2 tbsp
Garnish (optional):
Lemon juice - 3-4 tbsp
Coriander leaves, chopped - 2-3 tbsp
Coconut, grated - 2 tbsp

Serves: 4-5
Cooking time: 20 min (prep time: 5 min, cook time: 15 min) [does not include soak time of about 8-12 hr]
Method:




1) Soak the whole moong in water (2 cups for every cup of moong) for 8-12 hr (see comments). Wash and drain.






2) Chop the tomatoes, onions, and green chillies. I didn't have any onions, and I used green/red peppers from Marin's plant.






3) Heat 1 cup water (we will need just enough water to cook the moong) with salt and turmeric. Add the moong and cover for ten minutes or until moong is cooked (while still mostly firm)






4) In the same pan, heat the oil/ghee and fry asafoetida and chillies. Add the ginger-garlic paste and stir for two minutes.






5) Add the onions and fry until translucent, then add tomatoes and fry for a few minutes before mixing in the garam masala. Stir in the cooked moong and cook covered for 5-10 minutes on a medium flame (add some water if needed)






6) When cooked, garnish with lemon juice, coriander leaves, and grated coconut if desired. Serve hot with rice or chapatis.




Author: Sundar
Comments:
--This Maharashtrian dish is a variation on my aunt/mom's recipes. While it is adequate to soak it for 8 hrs, increasing this time results in the more nutritious sprouted version (see pictures).
--Lemon juice really improves the taste, so mix it in if you've got it!
--I used 3 large fresh green/red peppers from the plant Marin gave me, instead of the green chillies.

Overnight French Boule

3 cups all-purpose flour (up to 1.5 cups can be whole wheat)
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours (up to 24) at about 70 degrees (in a gas oven works well in the winter). Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a smooth cotton towel with flour or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.


Source: New York Times
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery

Ranta Cranberry Pie

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup, plus 1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup flour
3/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread berries over the bottom of a greased pie pan and sprinkle with 3/4 cups sugar. Beat eggs well then add 1 cup sugar and beat until well mixed. Add flour and butter to the eggs and sugar mixture and beat again. Pour over the cranberries and bake ~60 minutes, until golden.

Author: Marin and Sean
Source: Rantas of yore

Chocolate Stout Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) plus 2 melted Tbs (for coating pan)
1/2 cup stout (do not measure foam)
1/2 cup packed soft pitted prunes (6 oz), chopped
3.5 oz bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Special equipment: bundt pan

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly brush ring pan with melted butter and chill 2 minutes, then butter again and chill while making batter. Bring beer to a boil in a small saucepan and add prunes immediately. Remove from heat and let stand until most of liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, melt chocolate and remaining stick butter together in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat together eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla until thick (about 2 minutes on high with an electric mixer). Add chocolate-butter mixture and beat until just combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in prune mixture. Spoon batter into pan and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into middle of cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool cake in mold on a rack 10 minutes, then invert onto rack to cool completely.

Author: Marin
Source: Gourmet Magazine

Broccoli with Thai Peanut Sauce

1/4 cup peanut butter
1.5 Tbs brown sugar
1.5 Tbs hot water
1 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs soy sauce
1.5 tsp dark sesame oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1.5 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil
3 cups fresh broccoli, in florets
1/2 cup red bell peppers, cut into thin slices
1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced

In a blender or mini-food processor, combine peanut butter, sugar, water, lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, and pepper flakes. Pulse until well blended and set aside. Heat oil in a wok. Add the vegetables and garlic, and stir-fry for 4 minutes, or until tender crisp. Remove from heat, place in a large bowl, and pour dressing over it. Mix well and serve. This can be served either hot or cold.

Origin: Megan

Southwestern Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup buttermilk (or cream)
½ cup pureed green chiles from a can OR ~3 Tbs pureed fresh chiles
1 15-ounce can pumpkin (or ~2 cups cooked, pureed mush from your own pumpkin)
3 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsps ground cumin
3/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup (packed) grated sharp cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh cilantro

Bring chicken stock and buttermilk to boil in heavy medium pot. Whisk in green chiles, canned pumpkin, brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, coriander and nutmeg. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until soup thickens slightly and flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with cheese and cilantro on top.

Makes 4 (first-course) servings.

Author: Marin
Original inspiration recipe: Epicurious/Bon Appetit

Chard Risotto

Ingredients:
5 cups chicken broth
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1.5 cups arborio rice
4 cups (packed) coarsely chopped chard leaves (about 1 bunch)
2 cups coarsely chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Additional grated Parmesan cheese

Bring broth to simmer in medium saucepan and keep warm. Heat oil in large, heavy pot. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice, chard, and mushrooms and stir until chard begins to wilt, about 3 minutes. Add wine and simmer until absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add 4 1/2 cups hot broth. Simmer until rice is just tender and risotto is creamy, stirring frequently and adding remaining broth by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry, about 20 minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with additional Parmesan sprinkled over the top.

Alternatative: Use mushroom broth and don't add the mushrooms

Makes 6 servings.

Author: Sean
Original recipe (sans brilliant mushroom addition): Epicurious/Bon Appetit

Sesame Carrot Soup

Ingedients:
5 Tbs butter
3.5 cups chopped, peeled carrots
1 cup chopped leeks or onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup yogurt, cream, sour cream or milk
1/2 to 1 tsp dark sesame oil
1.5 Tbs toasted sesame seeds (~3 minutes in a dry hot pan should toast them)

Melt 2 Tbs butter in heavy large pot. Add carrots, leeks, and celery. Cover and cook until vegetables soften slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until veggies are very tender. Puree soup and return it to the pot. Whisk in dairy product and sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with toasted sesame seeds.

Makes 6 servings.

Author: Marin
Original source: Epicurious/Bon Appetit

Carrot Koshimbir (salad)

Source: This wonderful web page.
Ingredients:
Carrots, skinned and grated - 2
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Rai (mustard seeds) - 1/2 tsp
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1/2 tsp
Udad (split black gram) dal - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies, slit lengthwise - 4-5 nos.
Yogurt - 2 tsp
Coconut, grated - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves, chopped - 2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

Servings: 3
Cooking time: 10 minutes (Prep 5 min, cook 5 min)

Method:
Add green chillies, lemon juice, salt, coconut and yogurt to the grated carrots. In a small pan, fry the oil and sputter rai, jeera, and udad dal. Add this to the carrots, and garnish with coriander leaves.

Author: Sundar
Author's comments:
A koshimbir can be served as a salad with most meals. It goes great with chapatis, and also doubles as a raita with rice dishes. This version is delicious because of the lemon juice and the yogurt.
Alternate method thanks to Ranjani:
Grind coconut, green chillies and ginger to a paste, add to grated carrots with salt, then add the sputtered ingredients to this. This version is called a pachchadi instead of a koshimbir (the latter is typically a drier preparation)

Masoor (split red gram) dal (lentils)

Ingredients:
Masoor dal - 1.5 cup
Water - 3-3.5 cup
Onions, sliced or chopped - 1-2 nos.
Potato, large, cut into big pieces - 1-2 nos.
Rai (mustard seeds) - 1 tsp
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 stalk
Green chillies, slit lengthwise - 2-3 nos.
Red chillies - 2-3 nos.
Haldi (turmeric) - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Servings: 4-5
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes (5 min prep, 25 min cook)

Method:
Boil 3 cups of water in a wok. Add the dal, green chillies, and potato pieces and stir. Cook covered for 5 min on a medium flame. Add the sliced/chopped onions and cover again. Heat until potato pieces are cooked, stirring often. Add haldi and salt. Add more water if needed, and cook until dal is soft. In a small pan, heat the oil and add rai, jeera, curry leaves and red chillies. When they sputter, transfer contents to the wok. Mix well and serve with rice or bread. Can be garnished with a stalk of coriander (cilantro) leaves.

Author: Sundar
Modifications:
---The onions can be fried separately and the cooked dal can be added to this.
---For a different flavour, try crushed and fried garlic pods.
---Your favourite leafy greens can be washed, chopped and added with the dal, green chillies and potato pieces.
Author's comments:
Delicious and simple, you can try your own modifications. You could replace part or all of the dal with moong (split green gram) or toor (split yellow gram) for variety. Be aware that moong may take slightly longer to cook!

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:
Ripe tomatoes, chopped - 1 kg
Rai (mustard seeds) - 1 tsp
Udad (skinned black gram) dal - 1 tsp
Green chillies, slit lengthwise - 1 pc
Ginger - 1" pc
Hing (asafoetida) - a pinch
Haldi (turmeric) - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 stalk
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 4 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Cooking time: 35 minutes (prep time: 5 min, cook time: 30 min)
Servings: 4-5

Method:
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok, and add rai, udad, hing, curry leaves, ginger and green chillies. When they start to sputter, add the tomatoes and stir. Simmer 5 min and add haldi and salt. Cook 20-30 min or until tomatoes are done. Add 2 tbsp oil and red chilly powder, and stir until the oil separates to the sides of the vessel.

Author: Sundar
Author's Comments:
VERY EASY to make! Mom's recipe, results in a delicious thick chutney that can complement any kind of bread. Can be mixed with white rice for tomato rice, which can be served with papad and/or raita. This chutney can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 15 days.