Red Lentil Dal

Ingredients for lentil dish:
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups water
1 medium russet potato, peeled and cubed
1-1/2 cups red lentils (Masoor Dal)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cardamon, ground
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste


Ingredients for rice dish:
1 cup white rice, cooked
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and chopped (optional)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)


Add all the lentil dish ingredients to a rice cooker. Cook until cooker turns off. (You could also cook on a stovestop until the dal is soft.) Top rice with dal and garnish with tomatoes, chili, and cilantro.

Mumbai Spiced Potato Cakes with Chickpeas (VEGAN)

As a vegetarian, I have been lucky enough to work for two Indian families that have taught me a lot about Indian food. The hindu culture believes in living a vegetarian lifestyle, and over thousands of years they have perfected the ways in which one can live a healthy, meat-free life. Here is a yummy dish that I made on Friday for my clients. Let me know what you think!

Mumbai Spiced Potato Cakes with Chickpeas:

C. = cup

T. = Tablespoon
t. = teaspoon

Ingredients for the Chickpeas:
30 ml / 2 T. vegetable oil
30 ml / 2 T. ground coriander
30 ml / 2 T. ground cumin
2.5 ml / 1/2 t. turmeric
2.5 ml / 1/2 t. salt
2.5 ml / 1/2 t. sugar
30 ml / 2 T. gram flour
450g / 1 lb. / 3 C. cooked chick peas, drained

5 cm / 2 inch piece of ginger, crushed/minced (about 2 T.)

2 firm tomatoes, chopped
optional:
2 fresh green chillies, chopped

75g / 3 oz. / 1 cup fresh corianer/cilantro, chopped

Ingredients for the Potato Cakes:
450g / 1 pound potatoes, boiled and mashed (note, I wish I had made more potatoes than just the 1 lb.)
7.5 ml / 1-1/2 (1.5) t. ground cumin

5 ml / 1 t. dry mango powder

Vegetable oil for fryinh
optional:
salt
4 green chillies, chopped
50g / 2 oz. fresh coriander/cilantro, chopped


1) To prepare the chickpeas, heat the oil in a karahi or large pan. Add coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt, sugar, and gram flour, along with a small amount of water, to makes a paste. Add the chickpeas and stir in the ginger, tomatoes, and the optional ingredients. Toss well and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and keep warm.

2) To make the potato cakes, place the mashed potato in a large bowl and add the cumin, dry mango, and the optional ingredients. Mix together until well blended. Using your hands, shape the potato mixture into little patties. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the cakes on both sides until golden brown. Serve with the chickpeas.

Note: If you are watching your waistline, you can substitue brown rice for the potato cakes!