I Lied.

I Lied.

I said I was going to make naan.

I didn’t.

I made fried brown rice.

I said I would make dal makhani.

I didn’t.

I made “Everyday Dal.”

I didn’t.

I made regular Saag.

And, my MIL made aloo gobi.

I’m horrible I know.

I’ll make up for it.

I made rajma.

That’s one step above and beyond.

Right?

I’ll make it up to you – and me – with the naan.

I promise.

You can trust me.

😉

Fried Brown Rice Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice, rinsed well and drained
2 tbsp olive oil or butter (I used Earth Balance)
1 bay leaf*
1 inch cinnamon stick*
1 tsp cloves*
1 tsp black peppercorn*
1 tsp cumin seeds*
2 tsp salt
2 cups boiling water – I start my tea kettle around the time I start adding oil to my pot

Directions:

Heat the oil/butter in a heavy pot until melted.
Add cinnamon stick, cloves, black peppercorn, cumin and bay leaf.
Saute over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. (The flavors really will just come alive.)
Add rice and saute for another 3 minutes.
Add salt.
Add water.
Cover and let it cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until rice is perfectly done. The water (after 20 minutes) should have been absorbed. If not, leave it covered for another 5 minutes. Brown rice does take longer to cook than white rice.

*Do not replace the actual ingredients with the powdered version. You are better off leaving it out altogether.

Saag

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch of spinach, chopped
1 bunch of greens (turnip or mustard), chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 jalapeno or serrano peppers, chopped (please adjust based on your spice preference)
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 medium tomato, chopped
salt, as required

Directions

In a large pot, add olive oil over medium heat.
Add onions, ginger, garlic, peppers and saute until tender.
Add the spinach, greens and a cup of water.
Cover and bring to a boil for about 10 minutes until the leaves of the spinach and greens are tender.
Take spinach mixture and pour into a blender (if you can’t fit it all into a blender, split it up into batches).
Puree until the spinach mixture is fairly smooth. I pulse about 4 times for 20 seconds each to leave some leaves still in tact.
Return the mixture to the pot over medium heat.
Add salt to taste. I usually add about 2 tsp and increase from there based on my taste.
Simmer mixture over medium heat. The longer you simmer, the better and concentrated the taste.
Simmer for at least 30 minutes. I have left it on simmer for more than an hour, and the flavor just intensifies.

Everyday Dal

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup dry brown/green lentils, rinsed and drained – I can’t quite tell if my lentils are brown or green. It’s a mixture and the kind you get anywhere.
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp of ginger, minced
2 jalapenos or serranos (again, please adjust to your liking)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp coriander powder
3 cups water

Directions:

In saucepan, boil lentils in 3 cups of water over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils start getting soft. Do not drain after.
In a separate pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
Add onion, garlic, ginger and peppers, and saute until tender.
Add turmeric, garam masala, cayenne pepper, cumin seeds and coriander. Mix until the raw spice smell is gone. Warning: the cumin seeds may sputter so be careful.
Add the spice/onion mixture to the cooked lentils.
Add salt to taste.
Allow the whole mixture to boil/simmer for another 30 minutes until the water has absorbed more into the lentils and the mixture becomes thick (rather than watery).