Forest Lake Church Cooking Class Shiela Bahn presents Indian Cuisine May 31, 2018
Onion Pakora
Ingredients
1 cup Besan Flour (or ¾ cup Besan Flour and ¼ cup Corn Meal, for crispier Pakora)
¼ tsp. Turmeric powder
¼ tsp. red chili powder (optional)
1 Onion – thinly sliced
½ cup chopped Cilantro
Salt to taste- about ¾ – 1 tsp.
Water
Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
1. Mix Besan flour, spices and salt in bowl.
2. Add water to make a thick batter (slightly thicker than pancake batter).
3. Mix onions and cilantro together, then add to batter and mix well.
4. Heat pan with enough vegetable oil for frying on medium high.
5. When oil is hot, drop spoonful of onion batter mixture into hot oil, turn over when starts to brown.
6. Drain Pakoras on paper towel (If making ahead and need to reheat, place in oven at 200-250 degrees for 15-20 minutes or toaster oven on high for a few minutes)
7. Serve with Chutney or ketchup.
Green Chutney – Cilantro-Coconut
Ingredients
2 cups chopped Cilantro
½ tsp. grated ginger
2 tsp. lemon juice or to taste
3 Tbsp. grated unsweetened Coconut
½ Dried Red Chili or ½ Jalapeño-some of seeds removed
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. brown sugar (optional)
Salt to taste
Water
Instructions
1. Add all ingredients to blender and grind until smooth (add enough water for desired consistency, usually less than ¼ cup water)
Lemon Rice
Ingredients
1 tsp. oil (Coconut or Olive Oil)
½ tsp. Mustard seeds
1 Tbsp. Chana dahl
Curry Leaves (6-7)
2-3 Red dried whole Chili
¾ tsp. Turmeric
Pinch of Hing (Asafoetida)
Salt to taste
4 cups long grain rice – cooked
2-3 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh)
Instructions
1. Heat oil in pan. Add Mustard seeds.
2. When Mustard seeds are popping, add Chana dahl and stir until golden.
3. Add curry leaves, stir for about 30 seconds
4. Next add Red Chili and stir, but don’t allow it to burn.
5. Add spices and remove from heat.
6. Stir in rice and lemon juice. Add salt to taste.
Bombay Potatoes
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. Rice Flour
4-5 Potatoes medium
2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
1 tsp. Cumin seeds
½ Onion diced
1 pinch Hing – Asafoetida
2 Tbsp. Coriander powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. Red Chili powder
¼ tsp. Turmeric powder
4-5 Sprigs of Cilantro Chopped
Instructions
1. Dice Potatoes (can leave skins on with red or golden variety) and boil until cooked. Allow potatoes to cool.
2. Place in large bowl and toss with rice flour until coated.
3. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet or wok. Add cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, then add diced onions and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add Asafoetida, Coriander powder, salt, Chili powder and Turmeric. Stir well on low heat
5. Add rice flour coated Potatoes and cook on low heat, stirring to allow spices to coat potatoes (about 7-8 min).
6. Remove from heat and add chopped Cilantro.
Chana Masala
Ingredients
1 cups raw Chickpeas (cook in Instant pot, manual mode, for 30 minutes- makes about 2-2.5 cups) or use 1 can Chickpea ( If canned used, then boil in water until very soft, 5-7 min)
1 tsp. cooking oil
1 tsp. Cumin seed
2 Cardamom pods or pinch of Cardamon powder
3 cloves or ¼ tsp. Ground Cloves
2 bay leaves
1 Cinnamon stick or ¼ tsp. Cinnamon Powder
1 onion diced
5 Garlic finely diced garlic or garlic paste or 1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ginger paste or 1 inch ginger grated
1 jalapeño- seeds removed and diced- leave a few seeds if want to add some hotness
1 tbsp. Chana Masala mix (Badash –Punjabi Chole Masala)
1 tsp. Coriander powder
½ – 1 tsp. Red Chili powder
¼ tsp. turmeric
1 Tbsp. Kashuri Metthi (dried Fenugreek leaves)
1 Tbsp. tomato paste or 1 tomato puréed in blender
1 tsp. Amchur powder ( dried mango powder) or 1-2 tsp. lemon juice
2-3 cups chopped spinach
1-2 cups water-more if sauce too thick
4-5 sprigs of cilantro-chopped
Salt to taste (1 -2 tsp.)
Instructions
1. Heat oil in saucepan (or heat oil in instant pot by turning on sauté)
2. Add Cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle add Cardamom, Cloves, Bay leaves and Cinnamon.
3. Add onions and cook until translucent
4. Add ginger and garlic. Then stir for 1 -2 minutes, add some water if starts to burn or stick to pot
5. Add jalapenos and stir
6. Add spices(except Amchur powder) and stir until fragrant
7. Stir in tomato paste (or tomato – puréed) and add 1-2 cup of water (2-3 cups for instant pot, enough to cover 1 inch over chick peas)
8. Bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes, on stovetop (close instant pot lid and set on manual –high pressure for 5 minutes. Set steam release to seal. Allow to cool when time is finished. Give at least 15 – 20 minutes and turn steam release to vent. If no steam is releasing, open lid.)
9. Add Amchur powder, Kashuri methi, spinach, chopped cilantro and salt to taste.
10. After curry has cooled remove as many cardamom pods, cloves ( if powder was not used) and bay leaves as can be found.
Instant Pot Dal (Red Lentil Curry)
Ingredients
1 tsp. olive oil or coconut oil
½ tsp. mustard seed
½ tsp. cumin seed
1 onion, diced
5-6 Curry leaves
3-4 pieces of garlic – diced
3 dried red chilis
1 cup red lentils (rinsed with water)
¼ tsp. turmeric
¼ tsp. coriander powder (optional)
½ – 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 pinch hing (Asafoetida powder)
3 cups water or vegetable stock
1 tomato diced
3-4 sprigs of cilantro, chopped finely
2-3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
1. Set Instant Pot to sauté, then add oil,
2. Add Mustard seeds to oil when hot. When they are popping add onions
3. Cook until softened and just turning translucent, 3-4 minutes.
4. Add curry leaves and garlic, sauté until garlic starts to turn golden
5. Add dried red chili (don’t let these burn)
6. Stir for roughly one minute, until very fragrant. Add water if starts to burn
7. Add lentils, mix to coat with spices and onions.
8. Add water or broth, stir to combine.
9. Place lid on Instant Pot, making sure steam valve is closed, and set manual pressure for 12 minutes.
10. Allow natural pressure release for at least 12 minutes; the longer you allow them to come back to normal pressure, the creamier they will be.
11. Add salt to taste and whisk the lentils
12. Add chopped, tomato, cilantro and lemon juice
13. Serve with rice, naan or chapatti
Stove Top Instructions for Red Lentil Curry
1. Place washed lentils in pot with 3 cups of water
2. Boil lentils, removing froth from the top
3. After most of froth removed, add garlic, and spices
4. Reduce heat to low and cover, simmering for 30-40 minutes or longer until lentils are soft and fall apart
5. Whisk the lentils, mashing some so it thickens the curry
6. Add diced tomato and simmer until tomato is soft
7. In a separate pan add oil and heat on medium high.
8. Add mustard seeds to oil, when popping add onions
9. Cook until softened and just turning golden, 3-4 minutes.
10. Add curry leaves, stir 1 min
11. Add dried red chili (don’t let these burn)
12. Place all ingredients from pan into pot of lentils
13. Add salt to taste
14. Remove from stove and add chopped cilantro
15. Serve with rice, naan or chapatti
Tomato- Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
½ Red Onion diced finely
4-5 medium tomatoes diced
2 medium or 1 long English cucumber diced
4-5 Sprigs of cilantro chopped finely
Instructions
Combine all ingredients and add salt to taste just before serving.
(Optional Add-ins – Soy yogurt, diced jalapeño with seeds removed)
Conversion of Whole Spices to powder
1. Cinnamon: 3 inches cinnamon stick = 1 teaspoon ground.
2. Cloves: 3 whole cloves = 1/4 teaspoon ground.
3. Cardamom: 10 Cardamom pods = ½ teaspoon of ground.
4. Garlic: 1 garlic clove = 1/8 teaspoon ground.
5. Mango-Coconut Pudding
Ingredients
1 can Coconut milk – 13.5 oz. ( Full Fat version is preferred)
1 can Mango pulp -29 oz.
1 cup Chia Seed
Add sweetener if desired- honey or agave
Instructions
1. Whisk together Coconut milk and Mango pulp
2. Add 1 cup Chia seeds and mix well
3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hrs. or overnight
4. Stir well and serve in small glasses.
5. Top with fruit such as mango, strawberries, blueberries, etc.
Whole Food Plant Based Diet Resources
1. Where to find recipes for Whole Food Plant-Based Diets.
a. Search internet: 21 day vegan kick start. They will send you 21 days of different healthy recipes to try.
b. You can always put in the internet search – vegan recipes or plant based recipes, you will be amazed what you will find
c. Pinterest has many Vegan recipes
2. Documentaries with information on Health/Nutrition (Usually found on Netflix):
a. Forks over Knives
b. What the Health
c. Fat, Sick and Nearly, Dead
d. Food Inc.
e. (YouTube)Walter Veith – “Sitting on a time bomb”, and “Udderly Amazing”
3. Audioverse (can get App on phone or look up online) Search on Health or Plant Based-diet – several health talks.
House of Spice
820 E. SR 434
Longwood, FL
407-331-9888
Items you will find in Indian Store for Recipes:
Curry Leaves (Available and free on Friday)
Besan Flour
Turmeric
Red Chili powder
Grated unsweetend coconut
Dried Red Chili
Black Mustard Seed
Chana Dahl
Hing (Asafoetida)
Rice Flour
Chickpea
Cumin Seeds
Coriander Powder
Cardamom Pods
Bay Leaves
Cloves
Cinnamon Stick
Badash – Punjabi Chole Masala
Kashuri Methi-dried
Red Lentils
Mango Pulp
Coconut Milk