Sweet potato 'upma'

Upma is a traditional South Indian dish made from semolina and vegetables. I am not a fan of upma as it is traditionally made but having some leftover vegetables, I made this quick snack which rather resembled upma though the flavour combination of green cumin, sesame and green chilli and coriander is more typical of North Indian snacks.

Servings: 2

Ingredients
1 large sweet potato
About 75g/ 1/2 cup fresh green peas (or frozen peas)
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1/2 green chilli, sliced 
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 
1 tablespoon roasted cashew nuts, finely chopped or crushed beneath a rolling pin
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped coriander
juice of half a lime/small lemon
Salt to taste

Method

1. Prick the sweet potato and microwave for about 7-10 minutes until it is soft when squeezed. 

2. Place the potato under cold running water and peel it, or wait for it to cool, then peel it and cut it into cubes.

3. Heat the oil in a wok or large pan over a high heat and fry the cumin seeds until they begin to splutter.

4. Add onion, red pepper and green chilli and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

5. Add the green peas and cook for 3-4 minutes until they are tender but still bright green. If using frozen peas, cook for as long as package directions specify.

6. Add the sweet potato, cashews, lime juice and salt to taste and heat through for a minute.

7. Stir in the chopped coriander and serve sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Masala tofu and peas

There are only a few ingredients in this recipe but the spices take it to another level. If you don't have all the spices use as many as you can. It is delicious stuffed into pitta pockets.

Servings: 2

Ingredients
1 cup firm tofu, cubed
1/2 cup cooked peas (or thawed frozen peas)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1/2  teaspoon oil
1 tablespoon fine dessicated coconut flakes
A large pinch each:
Cumin seeds
Fennel seeds
Cumin powder
Coriander seed powder

Salt or black salt (kala namak) to taste
Pitta bread (or other bread), to serve 

1.   Heat a non-stick or lightly oiled shallow frying pan/griddle/skillet over medium heat and toast the tofu cubes for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown on both sides

2.   Meanwhile heat the oil in pan over a medium heat and saute onion, garlic and ginger for about 2 minutes.

3.   Add the spices and cook for a minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning.

4.   Add the coconut and cook for 2 more minutes.

5.   Finally add the peas and toasted tofu and a tablespoon of water, toss to coat with the onion mixture and cook for another 1-2 minutes until hot and the water has partly evaporated.  

6.   Serve with bread of your choice. 

Aubergine and greens on toast

After requests to include simple recipes with a minimum of ingredients, I decide to make this vegetarian version of a sandwich recipe by celebrity chef Nigel Slater. It takes only between 15-20 minutes to prepare and cook. You can make it in larger quantities for several servings and eat it hot or at room temperature. As ciabatta bread is quite thick I made open sandwiches in order have a substantial amount of filling compared to bread. If you prefer a sandwich, split the ciabatta into four slices rather than halves and fill them with the vegetables. Of course you can also use other bread or pitta bread.


Servings: 1

Ingredients
1 small bunch greens, roughly chopped (try to use hearty greens like collards, kale, chard or other seasonal greens; the greens I used were simply labelled 'baby greens' but they rather resembled collards)
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 large aubergine, thinly sliced diagonally
1/2 onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic (use only 1 or 2 if you prefer)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Salt to taste
1 ciabatta bread roll or chunk of a ciabatta loaf (or other bread of your choice)

 Method

1.  Heat a non-stick or lightly oiled shallow frying pan/griddle/skillet over a medium heat and cook the aubergine slices for about 3-5 minutes on each side, until browned and slightly charred on both sides.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and saute the onion and garlic for about 2 minutes, then add the greens and cook for about 3 minutes. 
3. Combine the cooked aubergines with the other vegetables and add the paprika and salt to taste.
4. Split the ciabatta into halves, toast and serve topped with the aubergines and greens.

Greens 'n' beans patties

Here is another recipe from my sister. Green vegetables and beans, especially black-eyed beans or peas, are a classic combination from the Southern United States. The dish Hoppin’ John is a stew made of beans and greens that is supposed to bring good fortune in the coming year if eaten on New Year’s Day.  This recipe gives the ingredients an Italian spin with the addition of olives and herbs and they are made into patties instead of a stew. New Year may be two weeks past but that is no reason not to eat this medley of creamy beans, zesty herbs and olives, and hearty greens. 

Servings: 3 (about 6 patties each)

Ingredients

About 2-1/2 cups cooked black eyed beans

Two handfuls of finely chopped kale

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried mixed Italian herbs

10 green olives, finely chopped

Salt and black pepper to taste

Toasted bread, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Mash the beans until they reach a consistency like roughly mashed potatoes so that they can be formed into patties with your hands.

2. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté the garlic and onion and add the dried herbs.

3. Add the kale and cook until kale is tender and add salt and pepper.

4. Add the parsley and olives and the mashed beans, combine well and take off the heat.

5. Heat a flat frying pan/skillet/griddle. Shape the mixture into approximately 18 round patties and cook 3-4 minutes on each side until browned. Serve hot on their own, or with bread and/or desired sauces or garnishes.

Tomato and shallot noodle soup

A simple soup, lightly seasoned with Indian spices that is a meal in itself. Sautéed shallots add sweetness and pungency to the broth but if unavailable substitute with onion (about 1 large onion, thinly sliced, would be sufficient)

Servings: 2

Ingredients

300g/12 oz tomatoes, roughly chopped

100/ 4 oz rice noodles (see note)

12 shallots, sliced

1 green chilli, sliced

1 teaspoon chopped ginger

1/2 teaspoon chopped turmeric root or 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

a large pinch of cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Heat the oil over medium heat in a pan. Add the shallots, chilli and ginger and sauté for about 5 minutes until the shallots are softened. Add the cumin seeds and turmeric and cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and juicy. Puree the mixture until smooth, in a blender/food processor. Prepare the broth by returning the puree to the pan and mixing 1 ½ cups/375 ml water. Heat the broth until it begins to simmer. Add the noodles and simmer for about 3 minutes or until the noodles are cooked. Season to taste with salt. Serve hot sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper.

NOTE: If you don’t have rice noodles or any other noodles that cook within about 3 minutes, use the same amount of noodles but cook them separately. Mix only 1 cup/250 ml of water with the vegetable puree, add the cooked noodles and simmer for 1-2 minutes until the broth and noodles are hot.